Deep End of the Puhl™

Workin' It Out

2011-04-14T15:48:00.004-04:00

Ouch. Two weeks since my last post. My bad! I’ve actually been meaning to post about a thought that I’ve been working through, lately. Kind’ve a gigantic metaphor for marriage, if you will. But first, a little back-story... I’m not sure if I’ve mentioned it before, because it’s not something that we typically broadcast (mainly because we know it can be controversial in some circles), but Studly and I haven’t been part of a church for coming up on 1 year, now. In the interest of full disclosure, it’s been for no other reason than that we just haven’t found a church family in which we felt like we really were a part, but that's not really the point of this post. I miss it terribly, at times. The accountability. The genuine friendships. The corporate worship. The different perspectives preached ever Sunday. But honestly? I think more than anything, we needed this time away from an organized church atmosphere. We have grown SO much in the past year. And in the past few months, it’s been even greater. We are a daily work-in-progress, but I genuinely feel like we’re starting to adjust to our intended roles in marriage. I fully believe that men and women were created uniquely to fit a specific role. That’s what the bible says, and therefore it’s what I believe. I’m not feminist by any stretch of the imagination, but I do know that it was NOT an easy pill to swallow. I felt like I shouldn’t have to ANSWER to anyone, but God. I shouldn’t be ruled over by some guy that isn’t perfect, either… how is that fair? But can I just tell you that it’s not like that at ALL?! Whether Studly fulfills his role or not, I’m to submit to his leadership as the Priest of our home. Yes, he does have rules of his own, but I think as women (at least I did) we tend to jump straight to “but HE’S supposed to…” instead of just reading our own job description and applying it ourselves. It’s hard not to be the Holy Spirit FOR my husband. But that’s not the idea, here. Can I tell you one more thing? It is SOOO beautiful, the thing that happens when you both work towards your own role. When you are living in the way that God intended, it is AMAZING how much better things will flow together. Seriously!! Now, some of you have GOT to know what I’m talking about, here. There are so many metaphors I can use to throw this thing into gear, but it’s true. If each part of the body doesn’t do its own intended function, and instead argues that another body part gets the “better” job, or the more “important” job and tries to do that instead, then we’d be doomed. Every organ can’t be the heart, or there’d be no lungs, no brain, no stomach. Everything serves a purpose!! Oops. Tangent much? Sorry. What I’m trying to say is that we are learning a lot these days. And it really took us being out of an organized church environment for us to no longer rely on what we learned on the weekends to deepen our respective relationships with God. Not having a crutch to lean on required us to work through things diligently. To be more earnest in the time we DO spend with each other and with God. To be purposeful. And therefore, we’re not just checking some box off of the list, but we’re actually learning and training ourselves in the process. Now please know this: I am ABSOLUTELY NOT saying that ANYone should stop going to church in order to find this. I’m not even pretending that is some kind of magical equation to any kind of desired goal. Please don’t think that. I’m just saying that through everything, this is what came of that for us. We had a large number of reasons for leaving the church we once attended, but not becoming a part of another church right away was not the plan at all. It’s what happened, and through it all we sought after God’s will for our lives. It’s been a tough road, but we really believe that we’ve grown so so much. Anywho, I just wanted to give you a teeny little update on where we’ve been lately, but it’s all leading up to a post I’ve been wanting to write on a metaphor for marriage that I’ve come to understand. It’s nothing vast and it’ll probably be nothing to knew to any of you married people (possibly even a few singles), but I don’t think there’s anything wrong with a little refresher or reminder from time to time. And for any single people, maybe it’ll be a bit of a window to what marriage will be like when that time comes. Alright. That’s enough for today, but I’m eager to hear your thoughts on the above “stuff.” Have any of you gone a length of time without being active in a church? Are there any of you that don’t go to church, and don’t plan to? What are you thoughts on the biblical roles intended for marriage? And Be Honest, Guys. This is a judgement free zone. I can totally handle hearing that someone doesn’t agree with me and I would love to discuss why it is you believe what you believe, whatever that may be. I can agree to disagree, so bring it on. :)

Scratch That Itch

2011-03-28T15:32:00.009-04:00

I did it. I was crafty this weekend for THE first time in months!

Seriously.

I haven't even touched my sewing machine since early December. Not cool, people! I have really missed it. I've seriously needed a creative outlet, and I've just had nothing to really do that with.

Why?

Because it's messy. Sewing isn't a neat little simple task. Depending on what you make, it can produce quite the mess. And since our dining room table doubles as my sewing table, it's not as easy as just going in and sewing my little ol' heart out. I wish it was!

I have visions of a neatly organized sewing room, pretty much a blank canvas except for the pops of color contributed by my openly-stored fabrics, and a chair that I dream of finding and recovering, someday.

*le sigh

Someday.

I've told McStudly that I want a "craft room" in our next house. Wherever we go from here. Because it even bugs him that I'm just chugging along on the dining room table while he's trying to watch TV or something.

SIDENOTE:
Have I mentioned that this house is NO longer conducive with our needs? 'Cause it's not. Our poor not-so-little pup has absolutely nowhere to exhaust himself. I have 1 place to do any form of craft, and it's right in the middle of everything (literally in the dining room, which is in the great room, between the kitchen and living room - and Austin can reach things left on the table).

We have to go all the way downstairs every time the poor dog needs to pee, and then stand there and wait for him to finish sniffing around and decide he's bored in our little 8x10 expanse of mud and stone, back there (and the only thing down by the basement door to keep us company while we wait is the washer and dryer... not exactly a good time).

Our bedroom is large and awesome, but the 1 full bathroom is very inconvenient, letmejustSAY! The spare bedroom (aka: 'spar-oom', aka: 'Austin's room') does quadruple duty as an office, game room, guest bedroom, and storage room. It also happens to be where all of my crafty stuff is stored until I need to use it, and then lug it all downstairs to the dining room table (typically making at least 5 trips, if not more, just to get what I need).

If you can't already tell, the thing that is most lacking in this lil' ol' townhome of ours is storage space. It's awful! We get as creative as we can, but there's no room for much of anything, really. Even our very basic and small living room furniture seems too big in the space, sometimes.

Especially if you ask the pup.

Those couches just get in the way when he's in the mood to buck around like a bronco with a toy in his mouth... giving us a heart attack when said toy goes flying in the direction of the television. AWEsome.

And don't even get me STARTed on the whole neighbor situation!

Wow.

Sorry! I didn't realize that this post was going to turn into a rant about our current living situation. And to be honest, I really am grateful (ugh - foot. in. mouth.).

It was our first purchase, ya know.

We have learned SO much about what is important and what isn't when house shopping. We've learned what's easily fixable, what to overlook, and what we will absolutely NOT accept as our responsibility in our next home purchase. It's been a great experience.

We've also had a great time making this house our own. I love doing projects and such, even though Studly doesn't exactly feel the same (he doesn't mind it, just doesn't dream it up like I do, either... it's one of the many ways that we balance each other out). Our next (and final, really) big project is the kitchen. We saved it because we knew it'd be the most expensive, and probably the most time consuming.

And we also plan to get out of debt before even beginning. We want to save up the money and get it done. We want to get out of the habit of using credit and loans to do these kinds of things (I could do an entire post on our financial goals, alone, but I'll spare you for now), but we've got great ideas, that's for sure.

So now that I've filled the urge to do something crafty, this weekend, my mind is a-turning with loads of ideas. I'm hoping to blog about quite a few of them, but it'll all depend on when time allows me to finally sit down and get started.

And as for this past weekend's project, I plan to post pics, but they'll have to wait until after the birthday girl opens her gift. **fingers crossed that it'lls fit... :-D

Anywho, that's it for today. As usual, there's lots I'd love to share with you, but little time to do so.

Someday, friends. And hopefully that someday will come soon.

Toodles! :-)

Rutville

2011-03-23T15:27:00.004-04:00

I think it happens yearly, to be honest. I'm not quite sure why, but it seems that as soon as the sun start shining through the chill in the air, and days get a little longer, and I don't have to wear my big ol' coat to work everyday...

I get antsy.

There's no rhyme or reason for it. And I don't really know what it is that finally snaps me out of it, but what I DO know is that it happens. And it's happenING. Right now.

I just get restless. I dread work even more than normal (which is saying something). I start dreaming up all of these grand ideas. I start thinking about a lot of "what ifs" and about how different things could be.

I start to dream bigger.

It's almost like my eyes are opened to this rut that I've been stuck in all. winter. long. It's both freeing and frustrating, all at once.

Am I the only one?

With everything that's we've got going on right now (I promise I will fill you in eventually... be patient, friends), I think it's making this year's case of ants-in-my-pants even worse than usual.

Who knows.

But seriously - does anyone else struggle with this? Is anyone else dreaming even bigger these days? Are there any suggestions? Any recommendations for a good cure?

I'm going CRAZY, here!!

Why I Love Goodwill

2011-03-14T16:06:00.011-04:00

It's no secret that I'm a big fan of the local Goodwill... and by "local", I mean the 2, soon to be 3 stores closest to me.

PS: Who decided it'd be a good idea to put one within 2 minutes of my house? I thank you, dearly... but "thrilled" isn't exactly the word I'd use to describe McStudly's reaction to the news.

Now, Momma Bear and I don't play when it comes to Goodwill shopping. We are serious about our bargain shopping. Most of the people at our local stores know us by name (especially, Momma's). And we don't shy away from haggling attempts.

Example: I found a dozen of these mini Ikea mirrors at the store closest to Mom & Dad's house.

They wanted $3 a piece for these MALMA mirrors (regularly $2.99, direct from Ikea). Bump that ruckus! I told them I'd give them $1 a piece, and they agreed! Holla!! I haven't even used all of them, yet, but you'd better believe that all 12 of them came home with me. 1/2 are currently hanging in formation above our love seat, and the other are stacked away, just waiting for a purpose and/or to be refurbished into something more creative. ;)

So now fast-forward to this past weekend. We got some Panera for lunch (Yummm!), and then headed over to the Goodwill nearby. They had some great stuff!

For example, one great item that didn't make it home with me was this baby:

Brand new. In the box. And for how much? Only a whopping $69.99, baby. And that was BEFORE any haggling. Oh yeah... and did I mention that it could do this:

Oh yes. Yes it can. And if I had a place to put a coffee table, it would've been MINE! But, Studly insisted we didn't need one, nor have space for one. And as much as I argued that one day we WOULD need one, spending money on something you DON'T need, no matter how good of a deal, is a waste of money. And that's one of the biggest things to learn when thrift-shopping. *sigh

But there were a few things that did make it home with me from that store. And item was this awesome piece that I can't find a picture of. Oddly enough, as soon as I saw it, I remembered seeing it in an older pottery barn ad, not even that long ago!! But it's no longer listed on their site. Ugh!! Nor does it's picture exist anywhere on the internet by how I'd described it in google (not exactly rocket science, but not the easiest task, either). So the closest thing that I could find to the piece was this:

But here's how it differs - mine is a more clean-lined modern style than this more traditional version. Instead of the horizontal bar being rounded, mine is straight. And rather than the 5 vertical bars, mine has three - one of each length: small, medium, long. Also, none of the bars on my pieced are round, either, but flattened pieces instead, and the vertical bars literally hang on the horizontal bar.

Wow. That's super confusing. But I promise to try and post a picture when/if I hang it in this house. (Have I mentioned before that's it's UBER hard to muster up any desire to decorate a home that you know you won't be living in forever? Yeesh. Not easy at ALL!)

But my proudest purchase of the day came in the form of another brand new target furnishing, still in the box. Here she is:

At first look, I thought for sure that this beautiful cardboard box included 2 of these babies. But upon further review, I discovered that the box, although it said "set of 2", also said "60 of 120 pieces". If you do the math, which I did... that means only 1 of the "set of 2" was included in the box. No biggie. I wafted back and forth about whether or not to purchase the gorge brown leather parsons chair, and decided to go for it.

Now, this is where it pays to be observant. It was originally marked as $69.99. Which is still cheap, mind you, for a brown leather parsons chair. But examining the packaging uncovered a target discount sticker STILL stuck to the box. and it was marked $45.99. Woot! When Goodwill accidentally misses these babies, they have to honor the lowest posted price. Yeah, baby!! BUT they also saw me sweat. And this part is key. I "wafted" right in front of them. Which brings me to another important lesson in Goodwill shopping. Not only is haggling super important, and keeping things in perspective essential, but don't be afraid to let them see you sweat... even the small stuff. It wasn't an act. Believe me (I've done that, too...).

I was up near the register while deciding whether or not I was going to purchase the lone chair-nger, and after pointing out the beautiful red target-sale-price sticker, the fabulous lady at the register walked it back to the manager. When she returned, I really expected her to just give me the shiny sticker price, but Nnnooooo... she took out that GLORIOUS black Sharpie marker and crossed through the hand-written $69.99 on the box and wrote "$34.99".

*insert Hallelujah chorus*

SQUEE!!!!

I got that beautiful baby for $34.99. And you know what that means? Even if I purchased a matching chair at FULL price (which is SO not going to happen... for the record...), That would bring the brown leather parsons chair pair total to a whopping $170, and thus break down to only $85 a chair.

Eat that full priced box stores!! I mean you can't find that good of a price ANYWHERE, for parsons chairs. It was beautiful!! And even with the lone chair-nger, my dining room table will already look updated. And if I decide not to stick it in there (that'swhatshesaid), then it'd still look absolutely gorge in front of a desk or something to that effect.

Holla!

Have I mentioned that I love Goodwill?

And the day almost got EVEN better after stopping at another local Goodwill store. I found 4 boxes... 4 BOXES, people!! ... of this beautiful hardwood flooring. REAL hardwood. And it was the absolutely gorgeous Antique Walnut color. Each unopened box included over 24 sq ft of flooring, and guess how much they wanted for them?

Oh forget it... you'll never guess...

A whopping $10.00 a BOX! Only $40 for over 96 sq ft of GORGEOUS Antique Walnut real hardwood flooring.

I scurried home toot sweet and measured, only to discover that I needed twice that much to do our kitchen, entry hallway, and half bath, which all share the same flooring and all need to be replaced. We even tried to find a way to just purchase the remaining amount needed, but they stopped selling that color. UGH! Do you know how CHEAP that is, people?! Less than $.42 a sq foot.

Helloo Goodwill. Goodwill... Das a nice name. Can I getcho numba? Can I?! Can I havit?!?! Can I have yo numba?!

Sorry... got carried away.

Along with the above-mentioned items, I also walked away with a cutesy green t-shirt that I was oddly drawn to, an absolutely aDORable little girl's leather jacket (for sweet baby Abby, of course!) and a coordinating pair of jeans, a brand-stinking-new pair of fabulous black dress shoes (with minuscule heels. wootwoot!), a super-cute full length summer dress (you know... that fun springy style you wear with flip-flops?), a few wrap-around headbands, and a couple of other things that I'm totally blanking on, but still loving, if for no other reason than their cheapness. :-)

Anywho - this is just ONE Saturday, and only 2 of our local Goodwill locations full of reasons why I love the place.

So what about you guys... got any favorite thrifty places? Any thrift store finds that you looove to brag about? Come on... spill. We're all friends, here. ;-)

Today, I Hate Stairs.

2011-03-09T15:36:00.003-05:00

McStudly and I decided that it was way past time for us to get healthy again. We're lazy. We eat like crap. And we've each gotten a little bit rounder, to prove it.

Not to mention that we want to feel healthier. That's the main thing for us, really. To not feel like "bleh" all the time. You know that feeling, right? Well. We know it all too well, my friend.

So Studly got this genius idea a little over a month ago to order P90X and give it a shot. I wasn't exactly thrilled with the idea, especially after hearing about how intense it is (the "X" does stand for "Extreme," people!), but I figured I'd go along with it. I honestly didn't think it would happen, since that is the pattern for us... but alas... it did.

*sigh

Monday evening was my first crack at this exercise regimen.

It SUCKS!!

I didn't even finish. I got through the first 30 minutes (5 of which are just warm-ups!), and was just done. I mean... I knew I was out of shape, but I felt like an IDIOT!

I don't do well with workout routines. I do fabulously with running (but only when it's not freaking cold outside... can't do it), and even run every other day... without fail. But when it comes to working out along with a DVD, that'd be a negative.

Now, I did workout to a pilates DVD a while back. And LOVED it! Not only did I see results after the fist week, but it is the kind of workout where you don't really feel much while you're doing it, necessarily, but then the next day... when you're unsuspecting and go full-force to sit up in bed - HOLLLYY mamaa!!!! You feel it.

And I seriously was able to SEE results, not just feel them, but actually SEE them (and other people, too) when I did it.

Now... back to this P90X mess. It's not for me. I know I only tried the 1st day. And though I'm typically a stubborn mule when it comes to things (ask anyone... they'll tell ya), I just don't see a point.

I don't want to be ripped.

I don't want an eight-pack.

I don't want guns (the muscle kind, people... focus). :-P

I don't want to look like a man (no offense, body builders... it's just not for everyone).

I don't want to be able to lift heavy boxes easily. What fun is that?!

But here's what else I don't want:

I don't want to be out of breath after walking up stairs... even slowly.

I don't want to choose clothing based on how NOT tight it is around my midsection (which may be unavoidable, due to the hiatal hernia I have, which causes food-babies after almost every meal).

I don't want to dread bathing suit shopping (this may be wishful thinking, I know).

I don't want to wait until hubby gets home to open some jars.

And most importantly...

I don't want to jiggle!

I mean... who does, right?!

But alas... I agreed last night, with Studly, that I would give it a week, IF he promised not to give me a hard time if I still chose not to continue. He kept trying to convince me that yesterday's workout wasn't as hard and that even HE wasn't able to finish the first workout, but felt much more encouraged after Day 2.

Bleh. FINE!

So here's my thought on workout routines.

It's all about what works best for you.

Now, that goes without saying that it can't be a cop-out. Saying "it only works best for me to walk once a week" is lame. Well... unless your goal is purely to maintain circulation. In which case - go for it, girlfriend. But if your goal is to improve your health, then find a routine that works for you... WITHIN reason.

In order to improve health, you have to retrain your body. And taking a walk once a week won't accomplish that.

You know how, when you go to the doctor, they ask if you workout? This is because doing some sort of regular workout is good for your OVERALL HEALTH! Not just to be skinny. Not just to wear fun workout clothes. But to keep your body doing what it's supposed to do... you need to maintain it, just like you would your home.

I'm not the best at maintaining my home, but it isn't a pigsty, either. And I'm sure you know that if you NEVER vacuumed, and NEVER washed the dishes, or did the laundry... your house would start to resemble an episode of Hoarders.

Who wants that (beyond the typical neighborhood hoarder, I mean)?!

In the same way, you have to take care of your body. It can't do it's job properly if you don't do yours.

**steps off soapbox**

So what was I saying? Ah yes. P90X sucks. For me, at least. I will try to finish out the week, as I promised Studly I would... but I won't like it! Sike. I really will try. But I will not rule out returning to my running/pilates routine if it's not my jig.

And Studly promised he'd be okay with that, too.

For those of you scoffing at my idea of pilates as a workout - try it first, and then we'll talk. McStudly seriously used to always mock me. He thought it was a joke (he also thinks that the elliptical machine is "only for fat people", but I gave him 'the look' and told him that he needs to keep his mouth shut until he actually uses one, because it IS, in fact, a SERIOUS cardio/leg-toning workout!)... but then he had to take a pilates class for PT one week, when he arrived to late for the ultimate frisbee (or whatever sorry excuse the Air Force had for PT that day)... And the next day? He was HURTING!! He said it was WAY more intense than he thought it'd be and he has not even ONCE again said anything negative about it.

One of the things I love about pilates is that on top of toning your muscles (not bulking, toning) and making you feel amazing afterwards... you also stay flexible. And there aren't a lot of workouts that successfully do both. I literally feel like I've lost range of motion with just my .5 of a P90X workout this week.

Stairs and I? We're not currently friends.

But to summarize - I don't want to overheat again, and feel like a failure when I work out. I want to be encouraged and feel GOOD. I want to look forward to my next workout, not dread it and look for any sliver of an excuse not to accomplish it.

Anywho... that's that.

I suck at P90X, and I'm okay with that.

So what are you all doing to be healthier these days?

What's Next

2011-03-08T14:22:00.005-05:00

I mentioned before that there's a lot going on in the Puhl house. A lot of what, you may ask?

Waiting.

A whole lot of waiting. And praying. And wondering. And begging for direction. And guidance. And... just... something...

There's still a lot of waiting to be had, but I wanted to share with you a part of the talk that Studly and I had this weekend.

sidenote: Isn't it just so refreshing sometimes to connect with your spouse on a whole new level? Or maybe not as "new" as just... it's been a while. We have had a great time together the past week or two, and I feel like we're both growing so much through all of this. But individually and together, as a couple. It's just like a breath of fresh air.

Anywho - back to what I wanted to share with you. But in order to tell you that, I need to share with you a story, first. There are many versions, but here's the basic idea:

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
An older woman, known for her faith, is in her home when she hears an emergency notification on the radio. An obviously concerned news person alerts everyone in the small valley-town that the local river's dam is in danger of breaking any minute and all should flee to higher grown immediately. Not a moment passes after the old woman's prayer to God is finished and there's a knock on her front door.

A younger neighbor, one who regularly assists the elderly woman with yard work and basic house maintenance, tells her that she needs to grab her purse and nothing else and get in the truck with their family. They are heading up the mountain to higher ground to wait out the coming flood.

"No, you go ahead. My Lord will save me."

He pleads with her for a few moments, before realizing that it's useless, and reluctantly leaves, driving his family to the safety of the higher ground.

Sure enough, not 20 minutes later the water is rising around her home. It begins seeping in under the doors, and eventually the windows, as well... so the elderly woman heads upstairs, praying for rescue still, in order to stay dry.

Upon reaching her bedroom and closing the door behind her, she opens a window to the sounds of an approaching speed boat. A fireman calls out to the woman, "Climb into the boat! We'll take you to safety. The waters are rising fast. We have to hurry!"

"No, no," she says stubbornly. "My Savior will rescue me. You go save the others!" Slightly annoyed, yet extremely concerned, the fireman insists that she climb into the boat, but she closes the window and turns away. The fireman drives on, saying a prayer for the woman as he leaves.

As the water begins to slowly trickle into her room, she pulls down the attic steps, climbs up, and then climbs through the low window out onto the roof of her house. Once she settles into a spot near the peak of the roof, she closes her eyes and begins humming and singing the hold hymns that she sang growing up. Songs of God's incredible faithfulness and abounding love. Songs of his provision and salvation.

From a distance the sounds of a helicopter grew louder and louder, until the wind created by the beating blades could be felt on the old woman's face. A rope ladder is thrown down from the open side door, and a voice shouts over a speaker, "Ma'am! Grab onto the ladder, we will pull you up!"

"Leave me here! My Jesus will rescue me!"

"But, ma'am, we just came from the river and the rain up north is causing even more flooding than we expected... you must come quick!"

"No. I will be fine! My Lord will not forsake me!"

Defeated, the pilot orders the ladder pulled up and turns the helicopter away.

Sure enough, the waters continue to rise, and the woman is ultimately swept away by the raging waters. Unable to keep herself afloat, within moments she finds herself standing in front of Jesus.

"My Lord!! My Lord, I waited for You! I thought surely You would hear my cries and save me from this flood... why didn't You come for me?"

With more love than anyone could imagine, and without the even the smallest amount of frustration or annoyance, he looked her in the eye and said, "My child, I sent you an urgent warning, a neighbor's car, a fireman's boat, and ultimately a helicopter. I did not forsake you. I would never leave you, nor forsake you."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Whew. Pardon me while I wipe the tears away... that story gets me choked up even just thinking about it. I mean, don't get me wrong - there's a whole comedic aspect to it, too. But just thinking about God's faithfulness, even in the midst of our stubborn ignorance... it's just amazing to me, the God that we serve.

Our decision to believe in him means nothing in the concept of his existence. And with that comes his grace - he is not an angry God, casting out punishments, and sentences for our actions, but rather a loving God that allows us to make the decisions we choose, even knowing that it would end in our hurt and ultimately his heartache. All of the anger and wrath and disappointment he had for us died on the cross, and now we are left with nothing but forgiveness and his amazing mercy and grace beyond anything we're capable of comprehending in this life.

That's how much he loves us!

Sorry. I know I got off topic, but that story is just such an amazing reminder of his faithfulness, to me.

So... back to what I originally planned to share with you -

There are a lot of possibilities swirling around the Puhl house. And we're really eager to jump at one of them... for a lot of reasons, but don't want to force it. We really truly want to be where God wants us. We want his will to be done in our lives and want that so much.

We believe that he puts desires in our heart for a reason, but we also know that at times we are the ones burning those desires, ourselves.

Basically, we're feeling stuck in this place of wanting to push for it, but not wanting to force it, either. We want to put forth all energy and effort that we can to make it happen, but at the same time we don't want to MAKE it happen, ya know? We're praying about it. Praying that God's will be made clear to us, but we know that sometimes we need to learn patience in these situations.

But we also don't want to sit back and do nothing, expecting God to literally force it on us, either. He won't do that. Sure, he can... but I don't believe that he would... not in this situation. SO we also struggle with not wanting to be like the old woman in the story above, where we insist, to a fault, that God will intervene, when that could be exactly what he's doing right now.

Either way, we're in a holding pattern. We'd appreciate any prayers you'd be willing to give for us, at this time. Prayers for patience, and peace in the situation. Prayers for God's will and his direction in the decision-making process. Prayers for sanity and strength through it all.

And I'll update you as I can. I promise.

But that's it for now... just a little tidbit of what we've been dealing with. Trying not to over-think things, and trying even harder to remember that we are so very small compared to our larger-than-life God.

...And finding peace in knowing that.

That Person

2011-03-03T14:50:00.005-05:00

Have you ever worked with someone that just never seems quite that genuine? They have a smile on their face, but you can just tell that somethings not right?

Well, I do.

We've been understaffed for more than a year in our office. And when I say understaffed, I mean by several people EACH. For example, me and my coworker were each doing close to the FTE (full time equivalent) of 4 people.

Now THAT is insane.

But to be completely honest? I'd take that over this new girl that they finally hired, any day. Because we at least worked like a team and covered each other. Things got done. As impossible as it seemed each and every day, somehow we made it happen.

That's a true team, I tell ya. We didn't always agree, but it didn't stop us from obtaining that end goal. And now there’s a kink in that team. A hole. A gap. A missing piece. And that is New girl.

Don’t get me wrong. It’s not that she can’t do the work. And it’s not that she isn’t getting things done, either.

So what is it? I’ll do my best to explain.

There are projects that we’ve been working on for over a year. Projects that, because she just joined us, she knows nothing about. And these aren’t just simple little projects, but are very intricate and it’s taken us a LONG time to set up the processes and build the relationships that we now have. Everything was moving along fabulously, and then she came along.

She started interjecting herself info parts of the projects that she had no business touching. She’s taken on tasking that she is not only not qualified for, but has been told to step back off of. Yet somehow she involves herself and somehow convinces other key players that she is supposed to be there. This not only makes our organization look disorganized and poorly run, but it also makes me look pretty stupid when I go to take care of something that I’ve been working for some time, now, and she’s already stepped in and tried to do it. The customer is confused. I look moronic. And she has me fumbling to come up with a reason for it all. And a reason for why the way that they were told to do things wasn’t correct and they need to do it this way, instead.

She’s causing confusion and making us look incompetent.

I’m not a mean person. I don’t throw people under the bus. And I would absolutely not stand in front of a customer and say “Well, [New girl] may have overstepped her bounds by telling you that so prematurely, and not only is that not the case, but it's also not her call to make.” Because I am a team player. I don’t believe in stepping on other people to accomplish a task. It’s not right, and it doesn’t just make that person look bad… it tends to make YOU look like a giant jerk-wod and still somehow make them out to be the good person, possibly even the victim.

Homie don’t play dat.

At least not this homie.

However, it’s extremely stressful. I’ve been in my position for almost 3 years, and have maintained a Level 3 in my title that entire time. The only reason I haven’t progressed is because there are only 3 positions above me, all with the same title, and just this past week was the first time any of those 3 people have left, and they replaced them with a girl that is not only fantastic (and I’m thrilled for her, in fact!) at what she does, but has been here the longest and absolutely deserves the promotion. I wasn’t even eligible because I actually work for a company that was reached out to in an order to fill my position, and the main company won’t allow “subs” to fill these top positions.

It’s annoying, but I get it. That’s just the way these things work around here. Not shock there, really.

But I’ve said all of that to say this: New girl is only a Level 2, and has only worked here in this environment and in this line of work for less than a year. Less than. So for her to come in and take over things, all personal annoyances aside, is just ridiculous. She’s not qualified. She doesn’t’ have the experience. And she needs to just take a step off.

Am I crazy for thinking this way?

I’m not one of those territorial kind of people. Trust me. Not with this stuff. Ask any other person I work with. I am all about getting things done, and if that means other people doing it? Well, then by-golly that’s what’ll happen.

Nobody wins when you’re only concerned about yourself. I’ve heard it said that “it’s a lonely road to the top”, and I have no interest in getting there.

But when you are going around to other people and making comments about me, and that you don’t like how I do things, well then grow a pair and talk to me about it. But noo.

What does she do?

She sends these e-mails with our bosses CCd, and tells me in this anything-but-genuine way how I need to do things this certain way that she wants me to.

My response?

I reply to all. I say “we’re doing things this way for a reason” in MUCH nicer wording, and throw in one of those “if I’m wrong about any of this, can you guys just let me know? I’ll gladly change things up if this is the case.” Because I have nothing to hide! I have a great relationship with our bosses. That’s what happens when you learn people and you forge working relationships with them.

Being all sneaky and conniving just makes you look like a tool.

And where I would normally be okay with letting her make a fool of herself, with no help from me, and having her just walk around like said giganto-tool, she’s messing up the relationships that we’ve built with the customers. And it’s taken us years to get to this point.

So basically, I’m just tired of it. It’s stressful at work all the time, these days. I’m constantly second-guessing myself because of it. And no one above me seems to notice the ridiculousness of it all (then again, they could possibly just not care, since I’m already doing enough damage control on my own to hopefully cover up all of her mistakes and over-eagerness).

And now I feel like I sound territorial and like I’m over-reacting.

It’s just not a fun situation. I dread going to work, now, and honestly don’t ever want to stay a full 8 hours. I’ve managed to make myself stick it out, but it’s a fight almost every day.

So pray for me… For patience. For wisdom. For kindness towards her. For energy to make it through the day, with some energy to still clean and make dinner at night. For a little extra dose of love to hand out when I’m feeling particularly un-loving. And for the ability to not take out my frustrations with her on other coworkers or my husband.

I’m really trying to work on loving her. It’s just SO hard when I feel like she seems so intent on ruining me and taking over everything I’ve worked so hard to build up.

It’s so hard to work with people like that. Am I the only one?

Fail

2011-03-02T14:44:00.004-05:00

I know I said I'd post more info on all of the "stuff" that we had going on, but to be honest - I lost it. All of it. It's gone.

We (and by "we" I mean my amazing husband) transferred all necessary documents onto our newer computer to completely wipe our old one and re-image it to stat from scratch.. basically, it'd be like we never had the computer before... except that we did.

Anyways, this worked SWIMMINGLY and our awesome newer computer took all of the junk like a pro and didn't miss a beat. The old computer is now up and running with a completely different operating system and so far so good.

However, My blog drafts got lost in the shuffle, somehow. No clue how. Nothing else seemed to go missing... I'm thinking it may have been put in the "delete" folder by mistake and them WHAM! It is no more.

I do hope to get around to re-writing it, because some of it is not only interesting (if you ask me, anyways), but also could be pretty informative to some of you.

... and is it too presumptuous to think that maybe some of you missed me?!

We'll just pretend that it's not and you did. :-)

There's actually a lot of pretty cool stuff happening right now in our little family, but I'm just not comfortable putting it out there, just yet. I promise I will as soon as I can, though... and perhaps then I'll have more to blog about, since it's kind've absorbing most of my mental space, at the moment, and not leaving room for much else.

...until next time, lovies. :-D

Stuff: defined.

2011-02-08T09:41:00.000-05:00

I know I’ve been slacking off – and to be honest, it was never planned (as if it ever is?!). But I think it’s been good for me.

You see – by not blogging, I’ve been focusing on a lot more. Things that are more important (no offense). Things like my marriage. My job. My home. Getting out of debt.

And it’s not like I can’t blog while doing these things, it’s just that I’m a focus person. Although I can multitask like the best of ‘em, I still need to be focused on a singular goal, especially if I’m particularly stressed or bogged down with life at any given time. Ex: when I multitask at work, it’s still part of one focus – accomplishing what it is I was hired to do. When I’m multitasking at home, it’s also a part of one focus – cleaning the house. Stuff like that.

Call me crazy, but it works for me. I’m a list person, and if it’s not on paper, it’s still in list format in my mind. But I don’t mix lists. So, I’m basically saying that lately, blogging hasn’t fallen into any of my focus lists.

Wow – did that make me sound like a type-A control freak or what?!

I promise I’m not. For the most part, anyways. I just get overwhelmed if everything is all over the place. I need some semblence of direction, ya know? Am I the only one?

Now don’t get me wrong – I LOVE spontenaeity. And craziness. And goofiness (if you know me, that is the understatement of the century!!). And just plain old fly-by-the-seat-of-your-pants good times. There are just a couple of things that I need focus and order with.

Anywho – long story short, I’ve just been doing other “stuff”, lately. Nothing super exciting or anything (except for our tax return. Now THAT is exciting!! …am I the only one?!). Just life.

So here’s a little bit of that “stuff” that I’ve been up to lately, in no particular order:

1 – health stuff.

2 – work stuff.

3 – marriage stuff.

4 – wedding stuff.

5 – finance stuff.

6 – clinic stuff.

7 – house stuff.

8 – birthday stuff.

9 – other stuff.

Over the next few weeks I’ll be posting more info on the things in that list. I’m not just gonna go all lame-o and leave you without the deets. Now would that be like me at all?! No way, man. So stay tuned and I’ll post them in something like the order above. But only if you promise to read and comment so I feel like you missed me…

Promise?!

PINKY Promise?!

Okay. Deal. See you around, lovies!

Pioneer Woman Is My Hero

2011-01-16T14:17:00.002-05:00

The Cinnamon Bread recipe from her website (thepioneerwoman.com) turned out SO tasty and made for some fabulous French Toast this morning... Whaddya think?

My Voice

2010-10-25T14:59:00.005-04:00

This post will probably not get all positive feedback. And ya know what? I'm okay with that.

I started this blog a while ago as a way to be able to express myself and do anything from blabbering on about nothing to getting y'alls advice on situations I find myself in, as well as expressing my personal opinions and beliefs in an appropriate setting.

If nothing else, I've somehow managed to make some good friends along the way. But on top of that amazing plus, my husband is ever-so-grateful to not have to listen to be babble on and on about something he could care less about... which as a woman is half of what I babble on about. (Can I get an "amen"?!)

Anywho - I say all of that to say this: sometime that "blabbering" involves an issue that people aren't as open-minded about. I think I've done a pretty good job (if I do say so myself, that is) at keeping that to a pretty good minimum... but this tends to be a topic that gets people heated. And since it's not quite winter here in these parts, let's keep the heat to a minimum, if we can. Also, please remember that as the blog owner, I reserve the right to delete/deny any comments that are drama-filled. I will NOT delete comments simple for the fact that they hold different opinions. That you can count on. But if things get ugly, or something is blatantly hurtful, then I'll get to clicking.

Now that I've probably scared everyone away, here's what I was prepping you for.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I'm Pro-Life.

There. I said it. I don't think that's necessarily a secret, seeing as how I've posted on the counselling I do in the local pregnancy clinic, but in case I haven't come right out with it in the past, there it is.

I am Pro-Life in that I believe life begins at the moment of conception. Try as you may, but you'll have a hard time convincing me otherwise. I believe that the instant that an individual full-set of 46 chromosomes appears, with a different set of DNA from that of the mother, I call that life.

I won't start spilling out anything more on that particular topic, really... at least I don't intend to, at this point. But I want to make it clear that I believe life begins as soon as the egg is fertilized by the sperm. So I've said it. There shouldn't be any confusion at this point.

But where it does get confusing is here: There's a political ad running in the DC area (which we happen to be kind've close to, and thus are subject to the ads from time to time) that shows graphic images of aborted fetuses. It's picture after picture of different aborted babies after an abortion. According to several articles on the ads, the candidate that is running the ads is only running to be able to show the ads on television.

You see, there's a law in effect that prevents any network or cable television channel from being able to alter a political ad in any way. I get this. It's to protect the ads from unwarranted editing which would make them appear and/or sound different than the candidate actually intended them to be. And the networks/cable stations are also prohibited from shifting/changing the ad to any air-time other than was was intentionally purchased by the candidate. I get it. This keeps a network/station that is more strongly affiliated with one political party from being able to mess with the ad of a candidate with another political party. It totally makes sense.

But I don't agree with this ad.

I feel that the candidate has "played" the system. And as pro-life as I am, I do NOT think that it's okay to subject children and/or forcing mothers of previous abortions to have to see these images. Granted, you can turn the channel. But you shouldn't have to. This crosses a line in my book.

I will, however, say this. I do believe that these kinds of images should be viewed by those currently in the positions of authority and/or are in law-making positions. Congress. The Senate. Any member in the law-making/law-enforcing divisions of government should be required to so photos of a fetus before, during, and after an abortion procedure has taken place. I feel that they should have to see it to make a truly informed decision. There should be absolutely no bias or prejudice in making these decisions, thus I believe that all of this should be taken in to account when major decisions are being made.

I just feel like there's a better way to do this. I don't believe that ignorance is an excuse. But instead of slapping people in the face with images of dead babies, why not display statistics of the effects of PAS on women who have had abortions, and how common it is for it to lead to suicide. What about exposing the manipulation and lack of care given to these women seeking abortions by organizations such as Plann3d Par3nthood and the like. Why not out them so as to expose their inconsistencies and self-serving "relationship" building techniques with teenagers, when they are only seeking to build future business. Why not stick with the truth about life - when the heart begins beating (fyi: 21 days after conception, on day 35 of pregnancy), and when we form our very own fingerprints, or when we can start blinking our eyes and making facial expressions, or begin to feel pain, (as measured by fetal response to stimulus)... why do we exploit the innocent bodies of dead babies, instead of defending their right to life and encouraging when that life happens?

As a Christian, I have a hard time believe that if Jesus had the technology, he would've shown murderers pictures of dead people and abortion-minded women pictures of their dead babies. I can't imagine that this is what he would've done. Call me crazy. He never once flaunted someone's sin in front of a group of people. He gave grace abundantly and hurt for the sinner. He hurt for the adulterer AND the ones who threw stones at her. He hurt for the men who hung on the cross next to him - BOTH of them.

He hurt for me.

And he loved me.

He still does. My Jesus didn't spit in my face and make me watch the mistakes I made over and over. He didn't make me relive it. He forgave me and brought me peace.

What are we doing? Marching with pictures of dead babies raised high or airing "political ads" with their faces plastered on the screen. What does that accomplish?

It doesn't make people rethink their position on abortion. It doesn't cause people to choose life, rather than abortion. It accomplishes nothing but setting us back. It makes people lash out in anger and consider all pro-lifers to be radical freaks set out to make people uncomfortable.

It makes someone like me - someone that's more sure than anything that life beings at conception - sad to be clumped into the same group as these people.

For anyone that's seen the ad and been hurt or offended by it, I am so sorry. There's nothing I can do to stop them from airing it, and there's no way I can take that back, but I can apologize for it and tell you that not all of those that are pro-life would agree with this.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Now back to the topic of my being pro-life... leaving this ad behind.

I'm sure there are quite a few people that would argue that I'm soft or "on the fence", but I assure you that I am not. Let me explain:

Again I'll say - I am 100% pro-life. I don't agree with abortion. When people argue for abortion purely for the sake of rape and incest victims, I'd like to remind them that 1) that only accounts for less than 6% of abortions in the US today, and 2) I'm not talking about this. I don't believe that abortion is right in any circumstance (and statistics have shown that the majority of these victims have claimed their abortion to have felt more like a 2nd death), but that's not what this particular blog is about. And I don't always say that, because I'm never going to succeed in accomplishing anything by starting an argument with someone.

For the time being, I'm talking about the other 94% of abortions.

I keep saying that one of these days I will post the abortion procedure in non-colorful, fact only layman's terms. Many people do not know the actual procedure for several reasons 1) they've never needed to, 2) they've never had one, 3) they've had one but didn't receive any kind of walk-through of the surgical procedure before-hand, or 4) didn't want to know. And maybe that post is long overdue... I'll see if I can work on it sometime soon.

(I assure you, it is not a colorful opinion-filled explanation of the process. It is the simple fact-only version we are permitted to give tot he clients at the pregnancy clinic, where we are not at all allowed to express our personal beliefs on the topic. Therefore, I can't imagine anyone being offended, but I'm sure it's about to happen. There will be a large warning before it begins, so anyone that is squeamish or uninterested will know to skip the post.)

But whatever the case may be, I struggle with one thing. And this may be where some people start disagreeing with me, if they aren't already. I struggle with the fact that I believe abortion is murder. Some of you have rolled your eyes, but let me explain it this way - as I stated before, I believe that life begins at conception. I believe that the minute that the sperm fertilizes the egg, there is life. There is human life. In that instance, 23 chromosomes from the mother, and 23 chromosomes from the father unite to create a 46 chromosomed individual human life. Yes, that life is dependant on another for 9 months, but there is no instance in nature where the life of the baby is not dependant on the assistance and/or nurture of another party (I could easily take a rabbit trail here about how quick people are defend helpless animals, but are quicker still to write off a fetus as a human life... but I'll try to stick to the subject at hand).

So my stance in being pro-life doesn't necessarily, in this case, involve my religious beliefs. I could absoLUTEly involve them to continue to back my opinion, but it doesn't matter. I don't believe that is what should convince people to be pro-life.

And this is where people question my beliefs. But I assure you that I am still 100% a believer in God. I just have to say, that when you start pulling religion into politics, in this country, you walk a very thin line. If we use religion as a foundation for law in a country that no longer recognizes their history of being founded on the principles of God, then we risk them allowing people with other religious beliefs to do the same.

Now don't get me wrong, I wish that this country would turn back to God. I think it would solve problems way easier and faster than anyone could imagine, but the issue of when life begins, though it is absolutely and 100% a God ordained design, can't be based solely on that principle.

When our only way to reason with non-believers is based solely on our interpretation of the Bible, we can't be shocked when they think we're crazy. If we believe something, and someone else doesn't, then they won't be able to see things the same way that we do. And telling them that abortion is wrong because it's a sin doesn't accomplish anything with a person who doesn't believe in the word "sin" to begin with. It'd be like arguing our point in French to someone who only speaks English. It'll only cause them to get angry and frustrated and write us off all the more.

Does that make sense?

And where I am not saying that we should exclude our biblical beliefs in making our decisions or relying on them to help us in choosing who to vote for or which laws should be put in effect, I am saying that it's no way to back a decision to a no longer God-fearing government or world.

So to argue it outside of religious beliefs, if at all possible, I say this: I believe that life begins at conception, when 46 chromosomes appear and a unique set of DNA has been created. And in showing that the heart begins beating before the woman would know she is pregnant, I can't imagine how abortion isn't considered murder, when the definition of death in the medical dictionary is this: the irreversible cessation of all vital functions especially as indicated by permanent stoppage of the heart, respiration, and brain activity. So then, if the heart is already beating, and we can detect the presence of the use brain waves in a fetus as early as 21 days from conception, how then is their death not considered murder?

And furthermore, the Declaration of Independence, the very constitution that this country clings so tightly to, reads that all men are created equal, and are endowed 3 certain unalienable Rights: life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. Where then have we lost sight of the right to life. And who gets to decide who is and is not in fact warranted these rights.

Well, I'm eager to hear what you have to say, and I think I've babbled on long enough, on the subject, so I'll leave you with this:

"We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness. — That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed, — That whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the Right of the People to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new Government, laying its foundation on such principles and organizing its powers in such form, as to them shall seem most likely to effect their Safety and Happiness."

Thanks for stopping by, guys. :-)

I've Got a Little Bitty Quessstionnn

2010-10-18T00:37:00.004-04:00

Where do you stand with Birth Control?

I love to hear other people's takes on it, so lay it on me. Any form or method... For? Against? Some not others? Preferences? I'm dying to know what you think, so let's discuss.

**Remember, the PuhlHouse is a no-drama zone, so I reserve the write to remove, delete, or make fun of any comment that isn't very nice towards other commenters (just kidding about the making fun, part!).**

Satan's Copier

2010-10-14T18:29:00.005-04:00

So I don't hate my job. It's not the most exciting, but it certainly beats being jobless ANY day of the week.

Lately, however, we've been having some big problems with our copier.

*insert grunts and mumbling here*

You see - this copier gets used a lot. A LOT. A Lot. A lot.

And I'm not just talking like 50 copies here and there... try 21 copies of a 350+ page student handbook that needs to be copied within 2 work days.

Yeah.

That's about an average job for this puppy.

So it's no wonder that she's not the happiest of campers. And she's not exactly your olympic athlete level copier, either. She takes her SaWEET ol' time. That's for DANG sure.

Well today, she and I are in the midst of a battle. Oooh yeah. Lexi and I aren't on speaking terms, right now (unless you count the mumbling and exaggerated sighs, that is).

Because she's winning. And that's not a dadgum thing I can do about it.

If you want to know how bad it is, imagine the project size above jamming ever 30 - 55 seconds. No. This is not an exaggeration. I PROMISE you that.

Just ask Studly. He can vouch for me. In fact, he got so annoyed at my almost constantly putting him on hold that the 4th or 5th time in that brief 3 minutes phone call that I asked him to hold, he grunted "Can't you just let me go? This is ridiculous!" So I did.

IN-SA-NI-TY!!!

Know what's even better? I knew that this job would take a pretty big toll on ol' Lexi, so I tried to split it up a bit. It's taken me ALL DAY to just make 9 copies. 9. ONLY NINE!!!

I'm going crazy. It's freaking 6:42 and I'm STILL at work!!! Can you believe this? Neither can I. And I can't leave until it's done because Lexi won't cancel a job without having to be reset. Which means she won't work tomorrow. Or the next day. And then won't reconnect to the server when she's supposed to.

I'M SO MAAADDDD!!! I want to go HOME!! I want to EAT something. I want to read my book. I want to spend time with my husband.

But most importantly, I DON'T want to be HERE!

It's such a crappy machine that... get this... when any of the technicians are in the area, they just stop by. No kidding. They figure they may as well swing by because they know how much trouble we have with it. Isn't that ridiculous?!

We're being told that this machine "should" be swapped out for a new one, soon, but we've been told that for quite a while, now.

Well, at least that's one business that isn't effected by the recession.

Stupid Lexi.

Time Is a-FLYin'

2010-10-11T22:52:00.006-04:00

It's like I blinked and all of a sudden it's friggin October! Where HAS the time gone?!

So it's like I don't even know what I have and haven't told you guys. I guess I'll have to read back a few posts and then ponder on what all has happened that isn't included.

BUT until then... this is what I'll leave you with:

Studly got his official orders from the US Air Force - medical retirement it is! He's already on permissive/terminal leave and has been offered a GrrrrEAT job from an amazing company. He'll kind've be doing what he HAS been doing, but they'll also be training him with a new skill set to make it a bit different... hopefully more exciting for him.

We've decided that we're done here... in this house, that is. We'll be fixing up the kitchen, the one real thing we have left to do, and then putting the finishing touches on the rest of the house. Oddly enough, we're not relatively sure what we'll be doing once we reach that point. You see - with the market the way that it is, anything could happen. We'd love to sell it, but that would only work if we got at least what we paid for it originally, thanks to closing costs, listing fees, etc. Then there's always the option to rent our place out and get some good tenants to help pay the mortgage, but then we're worried we wouldn't be able to rent the place for what we currently pay monthly.

Either way, we'll be needing a new home. Since Studly just got his new job, we'll definitely be staying in the area. However, whether or not we rent a place or buy a new home will depend on which way we go with the current home. *sigh So many choices... so many possibilities. Whichever we end up choosing, there's a new wish list that will be forming. Aren't you excited?!

I've decided that I'll be chronicling the process here - with you guys. AND... that means that I'll actually be BLOGGING again! WOO! ha ha

**Crazy Neighbor Update** We went to court about the dog poop issue. (See? It even sounds ridiculous in a blog... how sad is that?!) They decided to postpone 3 months. It was actually for our benefit, but it's still silly. They wanted to be sure the outcome would include the judge saying "This is nuts. Drop it. Don't waste my time." It was actually kind've funny having the prosecuting attorney and Health Department giving us advice outside of the court room. ha ha... They just asked us to take pictures each time we clean up the back yard. So at least twice a week. We'll have TONS of photos come 7 December, but if it'll end this, then so be it. And I'm sure planning to move because of all this will certainly help our case. So stressed and harassed that we can't live peacefully in our own home. Sounds like a case to me, but who knows. I just hope the judge is a dog-lover. :-D

And while we're talking about crazy neighbors, I should tell you that I had another encounter... with the redneck, that is. She's a whack-job. Not that I doubted this fact before, but good GRACIOUS she just nailed it in a few more times. *sheesh

Other than that, i think I'm kind've out of some ideas, right now. Not to mention it's like quarter to midnight and I'm struggling to keep my eyes open as it is. GOSH I'm getting old!

Anywho - that'll update you for now. I know there's PLENTY more, but it'll come in due time. Until then, remember that even though I'm not making new blog posts a priority, I'm still all over y'alls. Seriously, though... and I LOVE it! You guys are the best.

Well, Toodles for now, my Sweets! I'm signing out.

Much love!!

I Love A Challenge

2010-09-23T15:06:00.015-04:00

I JUST realized that I haven't blogged about my goodwill lamp spruce-session! How I managed to forget that, I have no idea, but it's never too late, right?!

Right!

So here she is.

And she had a sister, too. Momma Bear and I found these little soon-to-be-beauties at goodwill and I was SO stinking excited. I had been scouring (scowering?) the local stores for some cheapo neglected twins to call my own. To put my stamp on. To call my own and make beautiful again.

And behold, there she was! Her, her sister, and all of their ugly pre-Princess Diaries-esque makeover glory. They SO went home with me!!

The plan was to make them pretty, rewire the electric, and then recover some old dingy lamp shades to finish out the project. Then wah-lah. They would be mine! Muuahaha ha haa!

Okay. Sorry. I got caught up in the memory.

You see, I have a bit of a problem. I see too much potential in the household items at goodwill. It gets to the point where I'm put in some form of a goodwill time out, now and then. Just ask my momma - she will vouge for me. But with Studly out of town for the week (thank you Air Force!), it was the perfect time to take advantage of goodwill time with Momma and score something amazing, all in time to surprise him with something he thought I bought. Booyah!

So I took it a step at a time. Now, I don't have step-by-step pictures (becuase I'm a bad blogger. *smacks hand*), but here's the low-down:

Step #1: Removed old wiring. This is when I remembered to take the before picture shown above.

Step #2: Clean the lamps. I used my Shaklee all-purpose cleaning mixture and it worked fabulously. (love this stuff!)

Step #3: Spray-paint lamps in a beautiful stainless steel color.

Step #4: Clean off bad spray-paint, and try again... this time in a timeless Satin White.
Now, I'm all about full disclosure. So let me just say that the stainless look spray paint did NOT turn out correctly. I mean, it wasn't even paint. It looked like a steel-wool scrubber and killed it, then sprinkled the remains all over the lamp. I don't know how it happened, and I don't have a picture (dang it!), but it was nooot cool. I know that I followed the directions - I shook it 50-million times before spraying, and blah. The good thing, I guess, was that since it was so piecey, it wiped off and re-cleaned in no time. So the next coat of paint went on seamlessly. Looking at it now, you'd never know there was a problem. Heck - you'd never know they ever used to be a different color to begin with!

And that, my friends, is what I call... SUCCESS!

Now back to the process...

Step #5: Re-wire the lamps, using an easy-peasy lamp wiring kit (I bought mine at Lowes, since McStudly's Dad is a Disctrict Manager up in the Mid-North area... I guess you could say we're a little partial). It comes with everything you need, and has super easy instructions to follow. Anyone can do it!

Step #6: The shades.

Again, I'm all about full-disclosure, so I should tell you now that I ran out of time. I was working on these lamps while also cleaning the entire house and tryign to get things re-organized before McStudly got home. I started the lamp project Sunday afternoon, and his plane was due to land at around midnight that night.

I'm a sucker for a deadline. What can I say?!

Anywho - I say all of that to say this: I didn't do some crafty DIY lamp recoverring. Instead, I ran out to Lowes (again... we're partial, and the size lampshades that I needed were cheaper there than at our Walmart or Target) and grabbed some super cute this-will-work-for-now shades instead. Oh well. A girl's gotta cut corners SOMEwhere. Do ya blame me?!

So finally I arrived at... *drumroll please*

Step #7: My favorite of them all. This is the step where you plug everything in and admire your finished work in it's final home.

Aren't you eager to see what these ugly ducklings turned into? Well, just to remind you, here's the sure-leaves-a-lot-to-be-desired before shot, one more time:

And now, without further adeue, I give you - the finished product:

And here they are, in their new homes:

They sure did come a long way from their brassy befores, didn't they? Well, we love them, and use them EVERY night before bedtime... and our toes are ever so grateful to be spared.

Mission accomplished.

WAY Out of Line...

2010-09-21T23:19:00.003-04:00

...by not blogging, that is. SO much has happened in the last month or so, but I've SO missed you guys!

I won't write a lot right now, because it's late and I'm just waiting for Studly to finish what he's doing so we can head to bed. Boy am I tired!!

But while I'm here, can I just say how frustrating it is to not be able to find something you've been eyeing?! For example, I've been wanting a pair of black leggings, but none of them will FIT ME!!

No, not the "tights" kind.

And not really the exercise kind, either.

Umm... I can't find a picture. This could prove almost as annoying as trying to SHOP for the stinking things.

Oh well. If anyone has an inkling as to what the heck I'm talking about, information would be greatly appreciated.

Until next time...

Toodles!

First Time Furniture Fix-up

2010-08-13T16:33:00.010-04:00

Last Friday, I got a text from Momma that included a picture of this baby:

She was at Goodwill and knew that I had been looking for something like it for my bathroom. How much? $10. SCORE! It just needed a little TLC (if you take a closer look at the top of the pic, you can see why).

So naturally, she was the perfect candidate for a self-proclaimed fixer-upper (I didn't say anything about being good at grammar, now, did I?!), such as myself. I was sold... and thus - so was she.

She came home with me yesterday. My schedule has been crazy, and then there were a few days that I just plumb forgot about her! But finally, I swung by momma's house (thank you, momma bear!) and picked her up. Now she was aalllll mine!

But after sizing her up, she seemed that she'd be a little to small for the space in our bathroom... and I had just the spot in mind for her, once she was ready.

So now it was time for that TLC that I was talking about, earlier. I have these amazing Guardsmen wood touch-up markers. Seriously, people... AH-mazing. Although, I didn't realize just how amazing until last night.

You see - for the longest time (I've had these puppies for a while, now, thanks to an over-zealous bone chewer named Austin... he really gets into it, folks), I thought that they were just glorified Brown markers. You draw on the furniture to touch it up and hope it doesn't just make it look like little Susie, the paste eater from Kindergarten, ran out of paper. And since the wood trim on my couches is so dark, I was lucky enough that there wasn't a single sign of little Susie, anywhere. *Whew!

When I started trying to touch-up this little $10 gem, it was starting to look more and more like it was - well... $10.

But alas, I decided that all those little letters on the side of the marker deserved a quick read-through. Ah-Hah! Directions?! Who needs 'em.

Pssh... ummm - apparently I do. Because you aren't supposed to just go to town drawing on the thing as your inner child squeals with glee. No. You're supposed to have some kind of rag with you and gently wipe in the direction of the wood grain immediately after each application.

Oooh.

NOW it makes sense.

But don't worry - if I reapplied it rather generously, and then wiped again, it would correct the little kiddie marks I'd already made. Score! Now nobody has to know!

... until I blog about it, anyways. :-P

But if you find that it hasn't given you the coverage that you need, you just let it dry for about 10 minutes or more, and then apply another coat, still wiping gently after each application. It's actually the perfect way to break up a night full of some So You Think You Can Dance finale commercial breaks and a little bit of this, action:

Presto-Chango!!

Your Momma's $10 Goodwill find becomes you're new treasure.

And now... for the "re"finished product:

Here are a few pics of it's new home, with some of the top decorating done...

I feel like it's belonged there this whole time, and now it's finally complete. *sigh

So in the interest of full disclosure, it doesn't make the markings go away completely, BUT it just makes it look a bit older and like it's got some character, rather than like a very tall neglected rabbit had nothing better to do to pass the time between carrot feedings. And I bet that if I wanted to take an extra 10 - 15 minutes and sand the rough edges a bit before applying the Guardsman markers, you'd probably not even notice them to begin with... but I'm a sucker for character and a furniture piece with a story.

Anywho - what do you think? Do you likey, or are you unimpressed? Have you ever used Guardsman Furniture Touch-up Markers before? What was the result?

... and am I the only female that doesn't read directions on things like this?!

I'm just sayin'...

Toodles!

Just Making Plans

2010-07-27T17:25:00.006-04:00

Nothing too special to write about today. I have some things that I plan to write about in a few upcoming posts, but I need to relax and plan them out so I don't have 7 posts in a day and then go 2 weeks without blogging again. ha ha...

Tonight I'm getting dinner with my good pal, Laurie. Her and her family just returned from a pretty extended vacation with family, so I can't WAIT to get caught up on all the things that I missed and everything exciting that happened. It should be a great time of catching up... there's certainly never a dull moment when we're together, that's for sure!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Random Alert: There's a new show on USA called Covert Aff@irs. It's pretty good, but I'm not sure what I think about it, just yet. What about you guys? Have you seen it?

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Okay. Back to reality. McStudly and I are hoping to plan a cruise sometime in the coming year. Neither of us have ever been on one, but... we're stoked! We've been saving while paying off our debt and are pretty much stoked about the thought of a cruise with just the two of us.

Actually, since we've been married, we've only been on "two" vacations alone together. Our honeymoon (obviously), and the one that earned the quotes around the number above, we took an impromptu weekend (and by weekend, I mean friday night into Saturday) at the ocean.

Other than that, we're pretty "green" when it comes to travel and romantic getaways. Well... not for too much longer! Anywho - more info to come on that, but I'm stoked and I'm hoping that all y'all that may have been on a cruise before will have plenty of advice for us on who to sail with (or maybe who not to sail with), and maybe where we should or shouldn't go.

Anywho - that's it for today. Looking forward to your input, and I guess I'll catch y'all later.

Toodles!

Worry Warts

2010-07-23T16:57:00.006-04:00

I recently wrote an article for our Women's Ministry eNewsletter. Just wanted to share it with you guys, as well.

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“For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.”
Jeremiah 29:11

As women, we worry a lot. In fact, some of us could make a pretty successful career out of it. For the most part, we think we have a pretty good reason to worry. We feel justified and call it “concern.” Justified or not, concerned or not – the fact is we let it consume us to the point of constant worrying.

We worry about every aspect of our lives. We worry about our husbands, kids, and home. We worry about our cars, jobs, and finances. We worry about our hair, wardrobe, and weight. Ultimately, worry about our past, present, and future. Why do we do this to ourselves? We were created to be caring and nurturing, but somehow we’ve turned it into controlling and worrying about anything and everything.

Take another look at that list. What do you notice? It’s all about possession. They’re my kids – I’m supposed to worry about them. He’s my husband… It’s my house… It’s my future… But ladies, Psalms 100:3 says “Know that the LORD is God. It is He who made us, and we are His; we are His people, the sheep of His pasture.” [emphasis added] By allowing ourselves to worry about all of these things, we’re claiming them as our own. When we cling so closely to those things in our lives that feel so important, we’re not allowing God, in his sovereignty, to hold them close. We regularly say we trust Him. We sing songs about how we’ve given our lives to Him – our whole lives – and yet, within ourselves, we find it necessary to hold on to bits and pieces that we feel most connected to or responsible for.

These things that we care about most; these people that we care about the most – we’re picking them up as if we are a small child that thinks it’s strong enough to carry something heavy by itself. And just as that child pulls away when you try to help, we’re pulling ourselves farther from God, and saying, “God, I know You’re good and perfect. I know You created them with Your own hands, but I can do it. I can take it from here.” And God, in his gentleness, let’s us try. We struggle, grunt, and strain to do it on our own, but ultimately we’re not successful. So we worry.

Other than a headache and countless other health problems, excessive worrying gets us no where. Matthew 6:27 says “Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life?” There is no benefit associated with worry. Not one.

Each time we worry, we’re turning our back on the God who loves us. Instead of entrusting him with every ounce of our lives, we’re taking the reins. We’re so consumed with “possibilities” and “maybes” and the thought of “what if” that we have caused ourselves to sin. We’re sinning when we’re focusing on these things rather than God, just as an adulterer turns her attention on her lover, rather than her groom. That sin then pulls us even farther from God and, before we realize what has happened, we’re caught in this deep pit of worry.

Even in that moment… in that pit, God, in His mercy, loves us still. He doesn’t just leave us there to figure things out, but He picks us up, dusts us off, and tells us to cast our cares onto Him. Not only does He forgive us for worrying, but He actually offers to carry the load FOR us! Psalms 55:22 says “Cast your cares on the Lord, and He will sustain you; He will never let the righteous fall.” When we do that, the worries, the concerns, the anxieties no longer weigh us down, and we’re free to live the life he’s designed for us.

The next time you feel overwhelmed with concern or find yourself worrying excessively, remember that He has a plan and a purpose for you. He’s on your side! He won’t harm you, but has promised you hope and a future. And at the end of the day, he’s the only one who knows what it is, so why bother worrying about it when the very creator of our existence is waiting, arms opened to us, and willing to have us walk through it together.

Barometric Pressure

2010-07-13T09:44:00.006-04:00

This Barometric Pressure shift is really messing with my head today... literally.

I called in to work to tell them I'd be going in late today.

And I was completely genuine when I said that my head was pounding. I took some medicine and went to lay back down, hoping that would help a bit, and then I'd go in at lunchtime.

So I lay back in bed, trying to go to sleep (it's always sooo much harder when you're fighting one of these splitting AND throbbing headaches. Double whammy. Be still my heart. *sigh).

As you can tell from the fact that I'm writing a blog right now, I am not able to sleep. My head is ssllooowwwwllly feeling better, but something even bigger happened. I'm being 100% vulnerable with you guys today (like I'm not usually?! Ha). I was trying to think about something... anything to get my mind off of the pain so that I could sleep and it would go away. Sounds like a good enough plan, right?!

Yeah. God thought so, too.

He knew it would happen. He knows how I tick. He knows what happens when the barometric pressure drops or raises (whatever it is, today) and my head starts running the show. He knows what my usual plan is to make the day bearable again, and he knew it would happen today. Right?! Right.

I started (don't even remember it getting there, actually, but grateful that it did, to be honest) thinking about running. I think it was because today is a running day for me (this evening, anyways), and how I'm meeting a girlfriend for dinner, so it'll be a late run, and possible hard to do since it's supposed to rain and/or I'll have just eaten... blah blah blah. It doesn't matter, really. But here's what does -

As I sat there thinking about my training for this 1/2 marathon in December and how it benefits a foundation which would find a cure and/or treatment(s) for a disease... I began thinking about all of the other races out there.

In that moment, I felt God directing me. And I felt it so strongly that I started to cry.

I still keep welling up, even as I write this post. I sat. I googled. And after seeing that there are similar events, but nothing quite like it, I just knew...

Now, I don't have all of the details or logistics, yet. I don't have a clue how it'll work or when it'll happen. All I know is this:

Through God's grace, I am going to organize a race.

Ideally, it will mix a 5k, 10k, 1/2 and full marathon, so that anyone with any and all background in running/walking - rolling, for that matter - can participate.

And every bit of the money raised will go to building water wells in 3rd world countries.

As I lay there thinking about how I would need to hydrate at the right time for my run tonight, and then what hydrating would be like during the race. My mind wandered to people that don't have water. And then it wandered to people that have to walk a marathon or more just to get to water... water that may or may not even be clean...

My heart just broke.

How silly am I? I'll tell you: I am a self-proclaimed water snob. I don't like Deer Park because, to me, it tastes peppery. I don't like Dasani because, well, it tastes like chemicals. I'm fine with most, but not all, tap water and I prefer the water from my Pur water filter at home...

???

How much more of a selfish, spoiled little ungrateful girl can I be?!?! I'll probably still prefer water this way. But honestly, AT LEAST I HAVE CLEAN WATER available at my FINGERTIPS pretty much any time I want it.

I'm not saying any of this to sound holier than thou or anything - this was a very very personal conviction. Well, less of a conviction, really, and more of an appreciation for my American comforts, all while there are people that still die of dehydration.

That sounds so... Hollywood 'Sahara Desert", doesn't it? Or so "Oregon Trail"...

But it's true.

And it breaks God's heart to see some of his people living so comfortably, all while some of his children SUFFER just because there in another part of the world... and world which, in it's entirety, was created by his own hand.

I won't sit here and say that he looks down on us for that. I don't believe that. But what is wrong with us, as Christians... Heck - as a human race - if we just sit back and do nothing with something so simple?!

This is true for any and every sadness in this world, really: Human trafficking. Slavery. Drug smuggling and addiction. Terrorism. Abuse. Neglect. Corrupt government. Greed. Gluttony. The fact that the porn industry is one of the most successful. I could go on for quite some time, unfortunately, but this just isn't the point.

How hard could it be to give clean water to a village. We have the capabilities. We have the technology. We have the manpower and the resources. I mean... water is one of the most abundant resources on earth, and yet people grow ill and die because it's out of their reach.

So I've done just a little bit of research in the past hour (Trust me, there will be MUCH more done), but here's what I found from one reputable organization that helps collect money to build wells... in Africa, specifically (for the record... I want to even go beyond Africa, but this is a huge starting point, and there is a HUGE need there):

"Every day, nearly 4,000 children die as a result of drinking unsafe water. Every 22 seconds a child perishes from waterborne diseases such as typhoid, cholera, and dysentery. Six million people are blind as a result of contaminated water and bacteria. Please help bring safe, clean water to children and families across Africa.

To give water is to give life. Clean water can cut a community’s child mortality rate in half. It means food for families whose crops are failing due to drought. It saves livestock. It gives parents a powerful way to improve the health, hygiene, and well-being of their children, and enable them to reach their God-given potential.

Your gift will help us dig wells to bring safe, clean water to thousands. You can also help provide purification equipment to treat contaminated water, and water storage containers to save fresh rainwater for later use. And, most importantly, your gift will help improve children’s health with sanitation systems that keep water sources clean.

No other gift produces a more dramatic effect on life than clean water and sanitation. You can help wash away suffering by providing access to one of life’s most precious resources..."

Can you believe that? Look at that first paragraph again: 4,000 children a day. Every 22 seconds!! That is just gut-wrenching.

And read those diseases again - typhoid, cholera, dysentery. The only thing I know about those illnesses is that your eldest daughter in Oregon Trail almost always die from something like that... or diarrhea. But I have don't even have any idea what that looks like, much less what it feels like or how rough it can be on the body of a child.

Well, that's that. This is what's on my heart, right now. I just talked to McStudly about it and I'm snotting like a baby, again.

Wow. Even with all of the crying and blubbering... my head feels a lot better.

So here's what I need from you guys:

#1 - your opinion. Do you think it's something people would do? I mean, with God ALL ALL ALL things are possible, but I'm being a silly little girl and wondering if people will do it.

#2 - your voice. I want TONS of opinions, here. I want to hear from people who run and people who don't even walk more than to the mailbox. I want to know if this is a cause they'd push themselves for. So do me a favor - spread the word about this and encourage other people to comment, as well.

#3 - your experience. Have you ever started your own race before? Do you know someone who has? Have you ever been part of a "1st" race before?

#4 - your suggestions. I was thinking it'd be super cool to have the race somehow involve Embassy row in DC, but the realist in me knows that probably couldn't happen. But who knows, right?! Are there any other locations that you think would be awesome? Maybe starting and finishing the race in Baltimore at the World Trade Center in the Harbor would be awesome. Ideas, people... give me ideas!

#5 - your support. I know this is a huge feat. I need lots of prayer. Tons of encouragement, and a whole Whole WHOLE love of accountability. Ask me about it. Challenge me. Call me out on other posts. Remind me what God's placed on my heart and don't let me get caught up or distracted by little petty things, but keep me focused.

#6 - your help. This could be monetarily as we move closer to the race. This could be signing up and running it with us. This could be cheering us on through the process or on the sidelines of the race... handing out water and goodies to the runners.

Anywhere you can help, I'd be GREATly appreciative. I do still plan to run the 1/2 marathon in December, if I can, to benefit Crohns' and Colitis. It's still something near to me and my husband, since he was diagnosed last June. But even beyond running, I'll get to see that a race of this size is like and how it's organized. I may even get to make a few contacts while I'm there? At least that's what I'm hoping. So continue to pray for us with regard to that race, as well. We need to race a good amount of money and will need a lot of support and encouragement through the training... and we can always use prayer - can't get enough of it!

You'll see a little link or some "Donate" button action in the coming months, so help us spread the word when that pops up. the less stressed we are on raising funds for this race, then the more I can focus on preparing, planning, and organizing the Race for Water (I'm not sure if that's what we'll be calling it, yet, but we'll get to those details later, eh?!).

I pray that God will provide every single cent, and then some for this race in December, as I know he can. And then for the Race for Water, he'll continue to provide: Every single runner. Every single penny through fundraising. Every cup of water needed for the race, and thus every drop of water through a well to villages and countries in need around the world.

Today, I'm thinking God for shifting Barometric Pressure... just remind me of that the next time I complain about a headache, will ya?!

Workin' It

2010-07-09T14:12:00.000-04:00

It's official. Monday night at 10, I have logged about a marathon worth of running!

::cheers::

No really, though - there are now 26.24 miles on my training log and I am SO stinking proud of myself. I am not a runner. I mean I've tried running before, but it's never really stuck. Having a race or something to work towards has been so fabulous, you don't even know.

Honestly, every time I'm out there, I'm a big cheeseball and feel like I'm running for my husband. And in a way I guess I am. I'm training for a race that will directly benefit his health and well-being, so maybe I really am running for him. And everytime I push myself harder, I feel like I'm loving him in that.

See?! Total cheeseball.

But anywho - I had the best run the other day. Saturday evening's run was so stinking phenomenal that I can only hope that my next run will be that good. It wasn't too hot out, so I'm sure that helped a bit. And it's very possible that the Vanilla Bean Frappacino I had about 2 hours before could've had a little to do with it, too, but I don't even care. I felt SO great about it!

McStudly was hanging out with a buddy of his and so I figured I'd knock out my run for the day (since I'm running every other day, now) while he was gone. So I threw on some of my running gear, laced up my new running shoes (I can't wait to tell you all about them), charged up the iPod shuffle and went for it.

At the previous run, I had finally reached the point where I could run a full mile without stopping to walk. That was HUGE for me. Seriously! So I figured I try to push it up to a mile and a 1/4 or maybe... maybe a mile and a 1/2 if I could. Why not aim "big", right? ha ha... that seems so silly, now.

Well, aim "big" I did. Once I got going, I felt great so I just kept running. I ended up running 2 1/2 miles straight!!

Sqqueeeeeeeee

I couldn't believe it, but I just kept pushing myself and pushing myself and it. was. awesome!!

at one point, Studly and his friend drove past me and waved. I felt so great because of where I was at the time and the fact that I was still running. Still running. Hadn't stopped, yet!

Oh man.

You have no idea how much of an accomplishment that was for me.

Well since then I've run once, but had to tone it down for two reasons: time and temperature.

It's been way hot out in these parts, lately, and I don't want to kill myself so I'm staying smart. Studly and I got home later in the evening on Monday, so we just decided to go around the "block" and take Austin with us, but we had to run the whole thing.

Done.

No sweat.

Well... there was plenty of sweat, but we did it, nonetheless (and Austin didn't almost keel over, this time. I guess we're all doing better, now) and felt great afterwards, so we through in some crunches after we stretched it out. 50 of them, to be exact. Awesome.

Anywho, it was over 100 degrees Tuesday (luckily it fell on a no-run day, for me), which wasn't pretty, but it looks like it'll be right at that, or close to it for a little while. So I may be sticking to a few shortened run sessions, for now. But the way I'm looking at it is that I'll be getting better at a straight run and will hopefully be able to push myself further and further when it starts to cool down.

That sounds reasonable, right?

Well, that's the status for now. I have a few more runs to log, but won't cheat and add them into the total that mapmyrun.com is giving me for now. I'll just give you what I haven't been too lazy to log and hopefully that will make me better at logging everything.

Anywho - that's the 411 on the 1/2 marathon training. Have you been pushing yourself to exercise, lately? What other kinds of goals have you set for yourself - crafting, blogging, cleaning... do tell!

Toodles.

2-3-4!

2010-07-07T15:28:00.006-04:00

I know - I'm Slacker McSlackipantalones for sure. BUT I thought it was a nice chance to take a break (break from what, most of you are probably thinking... it's not like I've been exactly on the ball, lately) over the 4th Holiday and just relax with my McStudmuffin...

Check!

It was fabulous. We did a whole lot of nothing -

Wait. That's not true. We did a lot, BUT we have nothing PLANNED, so it was oh-so relaxing.

Friday night, we went up to Annapolis and mosied on around the new Town Centre. We bought new running shoes (more to come on that) for both of us, had dinner at one of the newer restaurants in the area (nothing to write home about, unfortunately), and I day-dreamed about shopping at Anthropologie (window shopping at it's finest) as we walked past.

Saturday, we slept in a little, I went up to Joanns and scored BIGtime (LOVE me some fabric sales), had lunch with some of mi familia (momma & pappa bear, and little sis), scored yet again when I stopped at a local consignment shop with Momma and little Sis on the way home from said lunch, went our separate ways for a big (Studly and I, that is), then met up again a little later. He spent some time with a good friend of his, and I met up with one of the awesome ladies' from our church (more to come on that, as well) before going for a run (and again... more to come on that). It was awesome.

Then comes the 4th. We slept in again (oh so lovely...) and then we'd planned to meet up with a buddy of his and his wife and little girls on base for the festivities, but then changed plans. We Goodwill hopped for a bit, then mosied on around in Annapolis again before checking out another new restaurant and chowing down on some yummy frozen yogurt at one of our new favorite places, Menchies (yumm-o!), where we happened upon some old pals of ours (Hi Livi, Leah, and Natalie!! oh... and you too, Lane). And out of pure laziness, we decided to stay in the Annapolis area for some fireworks. We wandered up to the top of one of the many parking garages and watched a few of the different shows (since you could see about 3 or 4 of them from there) before heading home for a movie and some puppy time with our favorite dog, Austin.

Wow.. there's STILL another day to talk about?! Gesh. I looove long weekends. :-)

So Monday morning came around and we slept in again (not too long, this time... we wanted to take full advantage of our day off). I called one of my bestest buddies in the whole world, Ash-a-Bash, and we decided to drive out to Virginia, meet up with her, and then go check out a fun new golf place in the area. It ended up being a TOTAL blast. Seeing her is always a super fun time. I love my Ash. *sigh And then getting to hang out with her family again (it's been for-eh-ver!) was also a blast. I miss them all. *tear

Aaannnnd that was pretty much my awesome long weekend. Woot!

It was fabulous, for sure.

So what about you all - what'd you do with your long weekend?

My Hips Don't Lie

2010-06-25T15:25:00.004-04:00

I started training for the 1/2 on Wednesday. Wow. Not a good move.

It wasn't horrible... okay. That's not true. In fact - it's a big fat lie. It was HORRIBLE!!

I decided I'd do 4 miles and take little ol' Austin with me. He could use some exercise too, ya know?!

Well, let's just put it all out there. Judge me if you want to. Or don't... but laughter is totally acceptable in this instance.

*sigh

It took me an hour. I did 4.13 miles and it took me an HOUR!! A freaking hour.

Ugh. That's like walking... which is pretty much what I did the majority of the time.

BUT - in the interest of full disclosure, I didn't know until I finally made it home and the dog nearly died on the kitchen floor that it was over 100 degrees outside AND the air quality was Code Red.

...oops?

FAIL!

Anywho, Austin and I both survived (although I'm pretty sure Austin will run and hide the next time I take his leash out of the drawer), but I was highly disappointed in my lack of athleticism. Especially since just a few short weeks ago I did 5.5 in much less time with a girlfriend of mine.

Oh well. I guess having a horrible time like this will at least make me look way more improved at the end, eh?

The kicker is how rough recovery has been. It actually hasn't been as bad as I initially thought it would be (I blame it on the lack of oxygen during the run... stupid air quality!), but my hips started fighting me like 20 minutes in. I was hurrrrting, people. I'm serious. It was like my hips woke up and were like "Hoold up - what is this, mess? What are you doing?!" They were none-too-pleased with me, for sure. I guess that's what Shakira means when she says her hips don't lie. Because my hips tell the truth, no matter how harsh it may be, nah mean?! Yeah. There ain't no fooling those babies. Sheesh!

But McStudly and I are giving it another shot tonight. We're going to try the same 4-mile route and seeing as it's like 15 degrees cooler today and the air quality is listed as yellow (moderate, for those unfamiliar), I'm thinking it'll be MUCH more manageable. Well, at least we're hoping so, anyways.

So now I've gotta ask: how many of you are into running? Or interested in getting into running? Or enjoy watching others run away after they make them cry?

Anyone? Bueller? Bueller?!

It's Official

2010-06-24T15:45:00.009-04:00

Last week I was honored to be a part of some very special celebration. My friends Mike and Aiyana tied the knot (FINALLY!) after much anticipation and we couldn’t be happier for them!!

**Congrats you guys – we love you!

Well along with the wedding came rehearsals, a bachelorette party, a lingerie shower, and a bachelor party for the men-folk. Good times were had by all (well… mostly. Poor Mike was 7 shades of red when the guys surprised him with this embarrassing accessories for the evening) and though it all went by quickly, I’m just glad that Studly and I were able to be a part of it and celebrate with them.

But I tell that story to tell you another story… one that comes with a need for your assistance in the coming months and a willingness for you to bear with me as I prepare. *teeth chattering

And for those of you not paying attention and trying to figure out what it is. Just be patient… you’ll learn soon enough.

Thursday night was Aiyana’s bachelorette party. The ladies all met at Fuji for dinner (and entertainment. Have you seen those hibachi grill chefs? AHHmazing!) and then went back to the maid of honor’s house for a little lingerie action (oww owwww!).

Wait.

Let me rephrase.

We went back to have a lingerie shower for Aiyana. *whew That sounds MUCH better.

Back to the story… while I was there catching up with some girlfriends I hadn’t seen in a while (which is ALWAYS a ton of fun, right?!), my friend Amber gave me this amazing tidbit of information. Here’s what happened.

She had been at Atlanta Bread Company earlier in the day and came across this pamphlet. Upon further review, she discovers that the event focuses on Crohns’ and Colitis.

As most of you know, McStudly was diagnosed with Crohns’ disease last year. It was actually this time last year, actually, when he was finally diagnosed, so it’s been about a year now that we’ve been learning and trying out different medications and treatment options. Growing through the process.

So basically – to state that this hits close to home would be a total understatement. It’s not close to home, people… it IS home! I mean, you can’t get a whole whole lot closer than that, right?!

Anywho, she gave me the pamphlet (thanks, Amber. You’re such a sweetheart!) and I took it him to look it over and do a bit more research on the subject. And after talking it over with the Stud himself, we decided we were game.

It’s official. This December, the 5th to be exact, McStudly and I will be running the Rock & Roll ½ Marathon in Vegas. The proceeds go towards helping the CCFA (Crohns’ & Colitis Foundation of America) find a cure.

Fact: Did you know that chronic, and often debilitating digestive diseases impact more than 1.4 million Americans? True Story.

But I’m tired of just talking the talk. Crohn’s hit home for us. And see how it affects people in all different ways makes me wanna get off my butt and do something about it. But since I don’t have my doctorate and am certainly not a scientist, this is where I can help. So I’m going to do it, dang it!

So how can you help? I’m glad you asked.

Don’t worry, you don’t have to sign up to run it with us. In fact, you can do everything from the comfort of your couch with a big ol’ bowl of popcorn and a nice Big Gulp on the table next to you… or whatever it is you eat while you think about other people exercising. For me, it’s Chocolate Chip cookies and/or brownies with a nice big glass of milk. Yumm… I can feel myself getting fatter already. Woohoo!!

No – in fact, all we need from you is a lot of encouragement and a little bit of moolah.

Okay – I’ve already lost some of you. *sigh

Really though – let me explain. This money isn’t going to us. It’s not going to some VP’s pocket. It’s not going into the big hole that is the US Government’s “treasury” (which reminds me - doesn’t something need to be in it for us to actually consider it a “treasury”? I’m just sayin…). It’s going directly into the funding of finding a cure for Crohn’s and Colitis.

By giving us just a few bucks here and there, as you’re able, you would not only be changing my husband and I’s life by helping us run this race, but you’ll be absolutely changing the lives of over 1.4 million Americans that are impacted by these diseases. And for that, my friends, I will be in huge debt to you.

For those who don’t know the whole story, my husband wasn’t sick hardly a day in his life until all of a sudden WHAM! He’s got an auto-immune disease that he’ll have for life. Umm.. whaaa?! That’s a lot for someone in their 20s to all of a sudden have to deal with. Not to mention how he went from not even knowing what a headache really was to having them on a consistent basis thanks to the steroids they put him on. He’s since switched treatments and now goes in for infusions every 8 weeks. If he misses one, he feels it.

That’s quite an adjustment.

Basically – we need your help. We need to raise $3,500 a piece to be able to compete in the ½ marathon and support such an amazing cause. But for those of you that are as skeptical as I am about these things, here’s where the money goes:

$2,500:
- 16 weeks of training with a professional trainer and the team of other runners in your area, to make it easier for you to be able to complete the race
- Race entry fees, which aren’t all that cheap for this one
- Hotel accommodations for race weekend
- Entry to the Pasta Party on the eve of the race, to make sure you load up on carbs before the big day
- Moolah moolah moolah going towards the whole reason for the race

$3,500:
- Airfare to and from Vegas (and I live almost as far as one can live and still be in the same continent) for the race along with your team
- Ground transportation to and from the airport, as well as throughout the weekend for the various organized activities

I know it seems like a lot of money – TRUST me… I’m worried that we won’t be able to raise enough to be able to participate. But I do know that even if something happens and we can’t raise enough to race, the money that we have raised will still go straight to the cause. And that, my friends, is music to my ears… er – McStudly’s intestines. ??

There you have it. McStudly and I will be training to run a ½ Marathon in December to benefit Crohns’ and Colitis research, and we’re stoked! Our only concern has nothing to do with training or getting there… it’s whether or not we can raise the money in time to be able to participate and support a cause that has such an effect on our lives already.

So that’s where you come in. Can you help? Any little bit will help us go a long way when combined with the other little bits we’re hoping to receive. AND come August, we’ll have a link on the side of the blog that’ll take you directly to our Team Challenge fundraising sites so you can contribute. So start setting aside money, if you can. We’d be greatly honored, probably more than you’ll ever know.

Thanks guys!!

Summer Stretch

2010-06-14T10:06:00.003-04:00

Here we are at the beginning of summer. While most people use this time to plan vacations and trips and any chance to squeeze in a beach weekend (all of which I do...), I start getting bummed at the lack of TV shows since everything's ended!

It's not the most important thing to think about, but it's on my mind. I'd be lying if I said anything different.

But this year, my saving grace is Season 5 of Design Star. Woot!!

I heart David Bromstad. LOVE any and all HGTV shows that he's in and think he's a decorating genius. Seriously - I would LOVE love LOVE for him to decorate any room in my house. And his paintings?! Oh-Emm-GEESH! He's just sooo good at what he does. For reals.

Anywho - he's like the original Design Star. So I decided I'd actually watch this year and see who I'd like. And if nothing else, to get some inspiration for our home.

I LOVE design shtuff. You may not know it by looking at my house (take a quick look at my bank account and you'll probably see why that is), but I seriously have SOO many ideas. I love things that are different, but not strange. I love having things in my house that no one else has.

Like my orange wall. When I said I wanted an orange wall, I didn't know a SINGLE person that had one. Never saw it on HGTV or anything, I just knew I wanted it. Oddly enough, I'm starting to see it in a couple different shows, nowadays, and have heard of other people doing it, BUT as far as I'm concerned... I pioneered that puppy!

Anywho - I somehow get sewing inspiration from design shows as well. Don't ask me how, but it's kind've cool. Too bad I don't have the ability to stay home and play with stuff because I LOVE love LOVE making my own patterns and such. I've not really had the chance to completely create something from scratch.

Due to time constraints and such, I'll typically take a picture of something and do it myself, with my own little twist to it. Or I'll mimic the top portion of a little girl's dress (like I did for Lil' Abby a few posts back) and then totally switch it up with an original dress portion.

I love it!

And I've got SO many ideas swimming around in my head that I haven't had the chance to try, yet. I can't wait to be able to, someday. I have this dream of doing it for a living... but then again I have that dream for several different things. ha ha... oh well!

Basically, I say all that to say this: I kind've feel like I "get" them. The contestants on Design Star, that is. Like... with every challenge, they want to learn something themselves, but also please the judges and show how good they are at what they already. Does that make sense?

So I'm super stoked to see how they do. And who I like and kind've feel like I connect to.

Who's gonna be on the couch every Sunday night watching with me?! (...or using the DVR and catching up later in the week?!) Can't wait to hear what you think and who you like!!

Busy Busy Bee

2010-06-09T10:43:00.002-04:00

I am 24 years old, now, and have never been stung by a bee... well... up until one night about 2 weeks ago, anyways. :-(

I got home from work a bit later than planned, and we rushed around to get everything together and get Austin ready so that we could head up to the Fort for the game. The plan was to get there early so that he could warm up with everyone and be ready for the start of the game.

Yeah.

That didn't exactly happen.

We got on the road (finally!), and got stuck in traffic. In order to avoid even just a little bit of stress, we turned down a back road to skip some of the traffic. We were almost at the end of the road when we realized that Studly didn't have his ID with him... didn't have any ID with him. So we turned around and headed back towards the house to get his ID.

When we'd finally got the ID, we turned back towards the Fort and took the back road again to avoid some of the traffic, and save a bit of sanity. Time was ticking and we were getting closer and closer to game time, yet we hadn't even made it on base!

We finally see the gate, turn in, and are quickly turned away. In our haste to make it to the field in time, we had turned in to the closest entrance... but didn't consider the fact that my car didn't have base stickers. Boo!

So around we went to get through inspection and hustle it on over to the field...

But wait...

What field are we on?

We drove in circles, already having missed the start of the game... the dog was whining, the husband was stressed, and this wife was going crazy!

We finally spotted the field and McStudly hopped out to get over there ASAP. I went on and parked, got the dog out, and got all of the "shtuff" together before beginning the long awkward hike to the bleachers.

At this point, I felt like I could at least take a deep breath. We'd made it. Studly's head was in the game, the dog was out of the car and no longer whining, and we were finally good to go for another couple of hours. With Austin in hand, we crossed through the tall grass area and were finishing our little trek across the grassy knoll, dotted with spots of dandelion weeds. All the while we were walking, I was thinking about how I'd have to check the pup for ticks, later, because of those long weeds we'd walked through.

oww...

Ouch...

OOOOOOUUUUUCCCCHHHHHH!!!!!!

WHAT THE HECK IS THAT?!?!

Oww OWW OOOOWWWWW!!!!!

In that split second between feeling a little prick on the arch of my foot, and getting my hand to that area to wipe away what I thought would be a stick or something that was poking me sharply, the pain intensified immensely!! It was only a split second! I mean... what the dilly?! What the HECK kind of devil stick is this?!

It wasn't a devil stick. Well, devil seems fitting, but definitely not a stick.

...stupid little bee...

In the time that it took to blink while turning my head down to my foot, and also while reaching my hand down to wipe away the devil stick (all in less than a second), my hand touched the spastic wings of the stupid little devil bee before my eyes did and I FLUNG it off my foot!

Totally freaked out, now!!

Well, I hobbled over to the bleachers, which were still a good 100ft away from where "it" happened, and stretched out the hand that was holding Austin's leash...

"Hi, umm... can you hold my dog?!" Poor stranger was nice enough, though. He took his leash and watched him while I examined my now gimpy foot.

Poor little lefty. *sniff sniff

Sure enough, I had been stung right on the arch of my foot. I'm still not really sure how it happened, but it did. And at that moment, all that mattered was knowing that the little devil bee that had stung innocent ol' me was now dead. (I promise I'm not a violent person... but I know bees don't have feelings, so I was perfectly fine with the fact that he died for what he did to my foot. And I did NOTHING to him! Grr... yes it was a boy. No sweet little girl bee would do such a thing for no reason!)

So I basically sat there staring at this odd looking target-esque devil marking on my foot trying desperately to breathe deeply and fight back the tears that were welling up behind my oversized brown sunglasses (so thankful I hadn't forgotten them!), all while McStudly had not-a-clue what had been going on.

I got out what I thought was the last bit of the stinger (found out later that I wasn't accurate in that assumption) and used the antibacterial hand sanitizer offered up by another sweet stranger to clean the war-wound and keep it from getting infected. I asked that poor girl so many questions... I had no idea what to do about a bee sting!!

Well, as you can tell I survived. I did make it and now my foot is on it's way to some semblance of "normal". I went to the doctor last week for a follow-up on some other things, and mentioned the bee sting to her. It was super itchy and driving me CRAZY, so she gave me some topical cream that would help drive out the rest of the stinger and relieve the itchy reminder of what that devil bee did to my poor little left foot.

I don't care how cute of a movie they made, those bees are evil little creatures!

But teacher... my dog ate it!

2010-06-06T16:19:00.003-04:00

I was trying to do better, but the thing about blogging is you need to make time for it. There's ALWAYS something else you could be doing, and I never wanted blogging to be a chore, so therefore it never will be.

Don't get me wrong - I absolutely LOVE blogging. EVERY bit of it! Writing random stuff, the surprise of people actually reading it, comments on any given post, looking back at old posts and remembering where I was in life when I wrote it... it's just a great thing to have, really. But I guess priorities are shifting, right about now, so blogging just isn't the priority that it used to be.

That being said, I still always feel like I owe y'all (and my future self reading old posts and judging "old self" for being such a slacker) an explanation whenever I slack off... which has been more and more frequent, lately.

You see - McStudly is my priority. Over any and everything else in my life, he is top shelf. Our relationship, our communication, our interaction - it all takes precedence. Blogging... not so much.

Now don't get me wrong. If I was one of those super cool bloggers that made money off of my blog, there'd be a bit more of an understanding with a need to blog, but since I'm not that cool... there's never a reason that this blog should come before anything else in our lives.

With that being said, I'M SORRY!! I miss you guys... I really do. I feel so disconnected from the online pals and friendships I've made with you guys that it really bums me out. After missing several weeks, or sometimes even just days... I log in to find that some of you are pregnant, some have had your babies, some of you are adopting, or at least considering it, and some are making some being changes in your lives that I TOTally missed out on!! And it makes me sad. :-(

BUT I am doing my best to catch up on things, and when I can find time, I'll catch you up on what's going on in our lives, too. Nothing too too exciting, right now, but we'll let you know if that changes at all.

Well, thanks for staying interested in our little lives, and thanks for stopping by!

Toodles.

Her Wittle Dress

2010-05-27T10:00:00.002-04:00

A while back I made this dress:

It was super fun to make, though it took me several days to finish (and I didn't have a pattern, so there was a lot of trial and error)... and I loved the end result! I was so stinking excited to give it to my newest little buddy that I even made it in a newborn size so I didn't have to wait to see it on her! (ha ha ha... I'm so lame!)

My only problem with sewing is that I'm end-product focused, so I want to spend all my time working on a project until it's finished. McStudly's usually okay with this because it means more Xbox in it for him, but Austin gets a little lonely and lays at my feet the whole time, sometimes accidentally triggering the motor by laying his head on the foot pedal. Oops!

Anywho - today was a big day. I got a text this morning from Momma Laurie that Baby Abby was wearing a special dress to church. I turned to Studly, who was making molasses yawn with his prep-speed, and told him "You've GOT to get ready. Abby is wearing a special dress today and I HAVE to see it!" Oddly enough, he finished getting ready (though he wasn't exactly moving with a sense of urgency, if you know what I mean), and we headed off to church.

Sure enough she was wearing her little one-of-a-kind dress! Little does she know how much some people (you know... the ones with money to burn) are willing to spend on such a dress... and boy did she work that thang. She was so stinking cute (of course...)!!

Now, you know I couldn't tease you with such a story and not have pictures, so here you go. Lil Abby in her very own SP dress:

And of course I have a few pictures of us together:

So there you have it. She's just a skosh over 5 weeks old already. Can you believe it?!

PS: Get a load of all that hair!

Honor Flight

2010-05-25T09:30:00.002-04:00

McStudly got voluntold to do Honor Flight bright and ~~stupid~~ ~~painfully~~ ~~freaking~~ early on a Saturday morning.

If you don't know what honor flight is, here's a small synopsis of what we did that day:

There were several flights arriving at our local airport carrying quite a few war veterans along with their typical plane-load of people. But we weren't there for anyone but the veterans.

At each gate, when the door opened, the normal everyday passengers were the first to deplane. I could tell by many of their faces that they had not-a-clue what was going on as they entered the airport surrounded by lines of men and women in uniform (yes, this happened at every gate where an honor flight was arriving, that day).

Once they cleared out (though some stuck around to see what the hubbub was all about), the veterans began to slowly emerge from the gate, escorted by loved ones and airline staff. And if you weren't paying attention before this point, you most certainly were now!

Roars of applause and cheers greeted them.

The men and women who are currently serving our country were hootin'-n-hollerin' for the men that had gone before them. Shaking their hands. Thanking them for their service.

...and every single one of the veterans were just BEEMING with pride!

I cannot even begin to tell you how hard it was for me to fight back tears. I was standing next to a pregnant woman, the wife of one of McStudly's pals, and even SHE didn't seem to be struggling as much as I was. Call me a sap all you want, but something about that kind of patriotism just gets me every time.

We had an amazing time. It was SO well worth the early morning we'd had. Seriously.

But even better, for me, was the end of the morning. As the men from the Honor Flights boarded their charter bus to DC, escorted by men on Harleys the entire way there...

...all of the men and women that are currently serving sent them off with a proper salute.

It was so beautiful! If you EVER get the chance to be a part of an Honor Flight near you, DO IT! You'll be so glad that you did and you'll never forget it.

PS: Check this guy out. He still fit into his uniform after 20+ years.

You know I had to get a picture with him and McStudly. Look how handsome!

She's here!

2010-05-24T08:00:00.001-04:00

This post is LONG over due, but I just had to update you... a few posts back I mentioned that I was on baby watch. Well, tax day or not she sure made her entrance!

Little Abby Grace was born on 15 April.

Her momma pushed (yes... just the pushing) for 3 hours. 3 HOURS!! Can you even imagine?! Oof... it makes me tired just thinking about it. But she did SO great and now our pals Laurie and BJ are the proud parents of a beautiful little girl.

She arrived on her own schedule (meaning several weeks past her momma's ideal time, and even 1 week over her due date), but came out with a head full of dark hair (just like her momma) and the cutest little raspy cry you'd ever hear. Seriously, y'all. It's so sad!

But since it's not my story to tell, I'll leave it at that. Their now 3-member family is happy and healthy, and all are doing great.

Now, unfortunately, I don't have any of the pics from our visit to the hospital, but here's a few of when we went to visit them after their first night back home:

Congrats, guys. We're so happy for you and can't wait to see her grow!!

And just for giggles, here's typical "use" picture... it really doesn't get more accurate than this:

A Love Letter

2010-05-22T19:24:00.006-04:00

Dear Snobby-Old-Lonely-British-Neighbor-With-Nothing-Better-To-Do-Than-Worry-About-Other-People:

If you don't like it, then DON'T LOOK! Forgive ME for going out of down for a family funeral and not stopping to worry about taking my freaking trash to the dump before I left. I'll try to plan the family deaths around the trash schedule and your preferences next time.

And if you're going to report me to the HOA, don't LIE and tell them that the trash has been outside for 2 weeks, when it'd only actually been out there for 2 DAYS!! Let's face it: You'd either report me for putting it at the curb too early, or apparently you'd report for not putting it out soon enough. Good GRIEF!

Have you stopped to consider that the REASON you're so lonely is because you're so stinking NASTY to anyone and everyone around you that doesn't live to your personal letter of the law?

This is America. A land of freedom. A land where we know we're not perfect, and we don't pretend to be.

So please - dismount and park your high horse somewhere else, because I don't give a rat's vomit about what you think of me. And clearly that feeling is mutual.

If you (and your new redneck friend downstairs) had taken just a moment or two to get to know my husband and I, then you'd know that we'd do anything we can to help you, should you need it. Lord help you if anything should happen and you can't maintain your home (especially if the HOA came-a-knockin'). Or should you get hurt and not be able to do more than yell for help, we're the ones that would hear you.

Have you stopped to think about that? Have you considered that maybe we'd would be better allies than we are the enemies you're making for yourself? No. Of course you haven't. Because that would require you to think about someone other than yourself.

You're an angry old lonely woman, and that won't change until you do. And unfortunately for us all, that will probably never happen.

My suggestion? You don't like it here, then leave. You do like it here? Act like it and quit making everyone around you so miserable. Then... tell your face. Your angry wrinkles are giving you away.

Signed,

Your annoyed and already wanting to move as far as possible neighbors next door. You know - the ones with the dog that poops. *GASP!

Sunday SUNDAY Sunday

2010-05-22T11:45:00.004-04:00

I've got SO much to catch you guys up on!! But for now - this is all you get....

So last Sunday was a blast. A buddy at work had some extra tickets for the Na$car race in D0ver. SO... we jumped at the chance to go. And what made it even better was that it was Baby Sister's birthday, so NATURALLY we invited Bekah, her boyfriend, Sam, and my sista Carlinn (cause we're not blood related... I took out the "er" and made it an "a". See how I did that?! I'm so cool...).

Even though Bekah and I had just gotten back into town LATE Saturday night (more on where from and why later), we woke up bright and early Sunday morning to beat the traffic, get some Sonic for lunch (our stupid state doesn't friggin have any... just the mean commercials!), and then parked in some shady guy's yard and walked through a bunch of trees to find we were still about 5 millions miles from the stadium. *sigh

BUT an adventure it was (that was my Yoda talk. You know you liked it...) and we loved every minute of it.

I have pictures for you, but can't find my camera cord at the moment, so check back sometime soon and I'm sure I'll have them for yous guys.

Anywho - N@scar races are perfect for some PRIME-time people watching. And WOW. WE sure learned a lot more about some of those people than we really wanted to. Basically, I feel like I'm intimately familiar with most of them. *shivers* I'm still trying to recover from some of it...

Go figure - I have what feels like the memory of an 85-year-old woman up until there's something that I WANT to forget. *sigh

Well, I honestly don't know how much I can tell you before I finally upload the pics, so I'll be back to give more deets at some point. Sorry for the lame postage... or should I say the lack thereof?! Like I said - lots to fill you in on.

Until next time, my dearies... Toodles!

What Did YOU Do This Morning?

2010-04-17T15:09:00.001-04:00

We worked with the Honor Flight at our local airport to welcome veterans from many years past into the area. Then, we sent them off to DC with a pretty awesome escort (see the right side of the picture?).

Now, is this an awesome send-off, or what?!

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Craziness

2010-04-12T15:34:00.006-04:00

We're never given more than we can handle, but that doesn't mean we don't start to feel broken by the weight of it all, right?!

I had a rough weekend. Some of that was captured in yesterday's blog. But the stuff not mentioned, as well as a pretty rough day today... let's just say I'm feeling pretty weighed down today.

And tonight I have to go to the clinic and meet with my client for a re-test, since she still hasn't gotten her period (and I think she's probably pregnant, and the last test was too early).

Don't get me wrong - I still absolutely LOVE volunteering and interning at the clinic. I really really do. And I'm looking forward to working with her again and helping her. I just pray that when I'm walking in, I'll be able to leave everything at the door and be Jesus to her when she needs it.

But now that, too, has me thinking. I wonder how many people have left baggage at that door.

Interns. Counselors. Clients.

I wonder what it would look like if we could put on our special goggles and see the kind of stuff that's just been chillin there for who knows how long.

I've heard the saying, before, that if everyone threw their troubles into a pile, we would each be quick to take back our own, after seeing it amidst the weight of all the others.

That's probably true.

This week should be full of interesting things. Some really good friends of ours are already overdue to have their baby girl, and I just CAN'T wait to meet her! Come on little Abby!! She's apparently just way too comfortable hanging out in there.

Sunday, on top of answering all of the questions regarding our worship pastor leaving, I was also lucky enough to field the "baby watch" questions.

*sigh*

Now I know how google feels.

Anywho - we're on baby watch. Kind've on neighbor watch (I'll still need to fill you on in all of that mess, soon. oh it's good... you'll love hearing all that action). Still recovering from our eventful and emotional weekend. AND I have a Dr's appt on Thursday. Fuunnn stuff.

I'm beginning to feel like the only solution would be planning a good vacation for just the two of us...

Can I get a Amen?!

Like a Stick in the Mud

2010-04-11T14:22:00.005-04:00

This has been a whirlwind of a weekend. Where do I begin? Oh, I know where I'll begin, because I can only really even write about a few things (the down side to having people you know read your blog...).

Well, we just got word that some good friends of ours are leaving. Pastor Travis (our worship pastor) and Leann, along with their two little ones.

It sucks.

To be honest - it's strange how much this is effecting me. I consider them dear friends, and he has actually been kind've a mentor to me for the past year plus. Not to mention they're just plain ol' fun to be with. But even as I sit here typing this up, I find myself crying (...again...).

I get it that people come and go in your life. And I've only even known them for a little less than 2 years. I guess I've just grown really fond of them? I don't know... like I said, it's kind've strange how much this is effecting me. I almost feel stupid. Hopefully it doesn't weird them out to hear that. ha.

But I can honestly say that I hope we remain friends, even after they are gone. We don't know, yet, just how far away they'll be going or where they'll be... they're still trying to figure that out. But for some reason I'm really having a hard time with this.

Gosh dang it. My tear-ducts must be broken... there's a leak or something. Any eye plumbers out there??

I know that God's got plans for them. And I know that he's got plans for me. To prosper all of us and not to harm us. To bring glory to him. I just hate that those plans are going to be in different places, even if just for now. It sucks.

But I know that his ways are higher than mine. I can't even begin to comprehend what he's doing in and around us. I just hate it when it hurts, ya know?

And what makes this weekend even more difficult (and probably why the shut-off valve for my eyes is MIA) is the stuff that I can't really write about. I wish I could. I want answers to some things. I feel like I deserve some answers!! And hey - maybe you guys could shed some light on some stupid situations, but unfortunately I'm left without.

Honestly - I wish I could just dump it all out there. I want to just get it off my chest, but I just don't feel right about it, right now. And it sucks. Dang it - why am I such a freaking nice person?! Ugh!!

Some of it is related to the above, and some is not. So if you're reading this and you know me, and you're wondering why I'm being such a big weird baby, then know that there's more at play.

And you know how it is... a piece of paper doesn't weigh much, but when you start to stack it all up, and then fill a box, and then another... it starts to really weigh you down.

I just feel so torn. I feel stuck. I've really felt like God has been moving me in a certain direction, and now I keep asking myself if I just misheard or misunderstood him.

But his sheep will know his voice. And the Lord confides in those who fear him. That's what my bible tells me... what my Jesus tells me. And I believe it.

...and that's why I'm so confused! Because what I feel and what I'm experiencing don't add up. God's saying "apples" and all I'm seeing are oranges. I'm surrounded by oranges. Oranges. ORANGES!

What the heck?!

And I think, too, that I got so caught off guard because I wasn't expecting ANYthing like this. I did NOT see this coming at all (back to the original subject here, folks).

But then it did.

And I realized how much I take for granted.

Period.

Even just in general.

But I was asked by several people, this morning, how I was doing. They're the ones leaving, and people have been asking how I was doing. So to most of them I just replied that I'm doing good. That I'll obviously miss them (they have no idea, I'd bet), but I know God's got a plan a-working and things all work out for his glory.

But then one person asked me how I was doing, and I began spouting off what became my routine answer, and all of a sudden I sprung a leak, again! I had been fine ALL morning, and then BAM.

I felt like SUCH a dweeb.

But I think we both knew that he wasn't asking for the standard answer, but he wanted to truth. And, well, he got it. I started crying, again, and just smiled. He said "yeah. I figured..." and said that he'd be praying for me. Which is all he can do, really.

Again... have I mentioned that I totally feel like a dweeb with how much this is effecting me.

It's just that we'd made so much progress, I felt. We were doing things. I've been growing so much.

And even through it all... last night as I was trying to go to sleep and my mind just would NOT stop running in circles... I just felt like God was pushing this song back at me that I had been working on a while ago. One that I had worked on with Travis and didn't get very far. And then he came back with some changes to the melody and, again, it kind've stayed in that stage for a while.

But last night I just couldn't sleep and I couldn't stop thinking through this song. I felt like God was really just leading me to focus on it, and I just really couldn't help but do just that.

In God's grace and sovereignty, I feel like I might've finished it last night. And I don't know how I did that without crying (I told you I've been a weepy mess... poor McStudly), though, in the interest of full disclosure, I did get choked up by that knot in my throat...

You know what's funny? I made it through this last night without a single tear, but as I prepare to write the words to the song here on the blog, I am crying yet again (or still, maybe?).

Anyways - here it is. Not all of it, but the main point of it, in poetic order as I'm feeling right now (so, basically, not in song format or order):

Our hearts now changed by your love

Your praise my lips will still proclaim

Who can ever compare to You,

God, I'll never be the same

You're my strength when I have none

You're my vict'ry, You're the one

I may stumble, I may fall

But by Your grace, You're my all

You're my all

You make life out of death

You bring peace and rest

You're my all in all

You bring joy in my pain

Time and time again

Jesus, You're my all

So yeah. I cried. I took a break. I think I'm past it, now, but Lord knows it'll probably come back in a second or two.

Basically, I'm a big huge dork baby and I probably need a midol or something (I promise I don't usually cry this much, no matter how much McStudly probably says otherwise) and I'll be fine. But I'm not happy about this change.

*insert pouty lip and child-like tantrum stomping here*

But I'll accept it, because... well, what other choice do I have?!

I just know that I will really miss them more than I thought I would miss someone I've only known for not-even 2 years. And I hope I haven't freaked them out by saying so. ha ha

Keep praying for me, guys. And please add our church to your list, if you can. We need to find a new worship leader and transition as smoothly as possible. And hopefully some other big bits of my mess can be cleaned up soon...

...to include the puddles caused by my leaky eye-holes. *sigh*

Love you guys. Thanks for letting me blubber on here. And count your blessings that this is not a video blog because I am NOT a cute crier. No no... not in the slightest.

Snot ya later.

2010-04-06T22:32:00.003-04:00

I got on here to write and then blanked. TOtally blanked. I had plans, too. Don't remember what they were, obviously... but they were there. In my head.

*sigh

Oh good grief.

Anywho - I guess I'll catch you folks later. I'm running out of brain power (as you can see from the instantaneous memory loss I've expressed above).

Toodles!

Involuntary Slackage

2010-04-04T17:44:00.002-04:00

Hi! I'm still here!! I haven't disappeared or moved on... and I never meant to be an involuntary slacker. It just happened. LIFE just happened! It's been SO crazy around here. I won't give you excuses, though, because that's a waste of time and energy (that I don't really have either, to be honest with you), but here are a few updates as to what's going on in the Puhl house:

- We've been lucky enough to gain yet another psycho neighbor (yay us!) and are just giddy about that. *blank face*

- I've still been working hard at my internship to become a volunteer counselor at the local Pregnancy Clinic. It's been go aMAZingly! Seriously. I actually counselled my first client this past week (with observation, of course). I have around 6 weeks left, I believe, then my final observation and then *fingers crossed* it'll be official!

- Work has been absolutely absurd, lately. Busy busy BUSY! For both of us, really. McStudly has worked many-a long day, as of late, and I feel like I've put in WAY more hours than I'd really like. There's hopefully a gleam of light at the end of the tunnel, but it's still a bit too far away for us to be able to tell if it's a light or just dream.

- Still working steadily on things around the house. Making dents here and there in the progress and making it more organized and livable. The laundry area isn't finished just yet - we still need to finish painting and then hang the shelves and fabric, but it's SO much better already. We ended up buying an inexpensive rug for the floor in a dark color just to muffle puppy paws and hide the mud he tracks in. BUT no worries - we DID get the washer and dryer we wanted... a step up, in face. AND they're a gorgeous popping RED color. :-D

- Total Budget changes. Well... not total, but some really good ones. We'll be saving more, not adding to debt as we pay it off, and getting to wear even big home reno projects will be paid for in cash and NOT added debt. Squee!!

I'm SURE I'm forgetting a bazillion things, but hopefully I won't be so MIA in the coming days/weeks/months. I can't promise when things will change, but I am a-hoping that it's soon!

So basically, keep praying for the McStud and I. And feel free to leave some love. I miss my bloggy buddies - that's been the worst part of being too busy, but I have been doing my best to be able to at least read your blogs. I promise (but FYI, some of your sites are now unavailable from my work computer, which is when I used to catch up on my blog-reading at lunch. Boo!) I will keep that up, and even try to comment instead of just blog-stalking. ha ha ha

So basically... I miss you guys! But hopefully that will change soon. ;-)

Toodles!

The Plan: Laundry Nook

2010-02-10T22:47:00.009-05:00

I mentioned before that we're planning to renovate the Laundry Nook downstairs. I worked with my sister, April, to create a mood board, and I'm super excited about it!

We'll start with the layout of the laundry/mudroom area:

That's a basic idea of the layout of our laundry room (just imagine a window in that door - it leads to the outside). While looking at this (we'll call it a rough before picture), imagine ugly green marble-ish vinyl tile, and really old dated appliances. Now add a few cob-webs (we avoid this space if at all possible) and some yellowing on the ceiling and door. That should do it!

Moving on.

Remember how I mentioned that my sister helped make a mood-board for me? Well, I tend to enjoy drawing things out for dramatic effect, but I think I've done that enough for one day... or have I?

Okay okay, without further ado - here she is!

(If you click the pictures, you should be able to see them enlarged.)

Isn't this exciting?! I can't WAIT for the finished product. Should only be a few weeks (depending on availability and free time, that is).

Alright - that's enough excitement for one day. I would LOVE to hear what you all think of the plans (and I'm sure April wouldn't mind hearing what you think of her awesome mood board).

PS: If you have any advice or recommendations, BRING 'EM ON!!

Yet Another Renovation

2010-02-08T15:27:00.005-05:00

McStudly and I are expecting our tax return any day, now. Actually, it'll be deposited on the 12th, according to the e-mail we received after we e-filed.

(Sidenote: Have I ever mentioned how much I enjoy doing our taxes? No, I'm being serious. I really, thoroughly enjoy it! Okay... I know I sound crazy, right now. Movingrightalong...)

Well, this year we're planning to finally renovate the laundry area downstairs. Can I hear a "woot woot"?! Yeah, it's pretty exciting...

When we bought the house, we figured the laundry area would eventually need to be updated, but it was pretty low on the list. Even though it came with the original washer and dryer, they still worked. That was over a year ago. Not long after we moved in, we realized that it took running the dryer about 1.5 times to really get things dry. Now that we've lived here for a while, we're up to running it 2.5, sometimes 3 times just to dry the laundry. And on top of that, we can't really wash a whole lot of clothes at one time - these aren't exactly high capacity appliances, ya see.

Along with old, dated appliances, we have this really crappy vinyl tile on the floor. By really crappy, I mean poorly installed, and horribly selected (obviously not in that order). It's this really gross green (again with the green... this woman was nuts for it!) and half of the tiles don't even stick anymore. It's just... not cool.

So here's what we're hoping to get done, down there:

1 - Appliances: New Washer/Dryer set. We were originally planning to go with a regular top-load washer and electric dryer, since we're not huge front-loader fans. However, the more we thought about it, the more we realized we'll need as much additional storage and work space as we can, down there. So now, the plan is to probably go with front-loaders (more info on that, later).

2 - Walls: There's this gross geometrical-style border just above the baseboards that needs to be removed. Then, we'll clean and paint the walls - probably the same color (by Valspar, Eddie Bauer's "Wicker") as the rest of the living room, to give the house a flow.

3 - Flooring: That old non-sticky vinyl tile has to go. So we've been researching a few options that will stand up to the high traffic and use of the laundry room (it's also the only passage to our backyard, so we're always taking Austin out through that space). Right now we're between regular tile (which wouldn't be easy to keep cleaned in that space), vinyl hardwood planks (looks just like hardwood, and water resistant, but not a "selling" feature), and really anything else is still a possibility. But we also need to replace the carpet on the stairs, so we're actually planning to put in some outdoor carpet (to stand up to the mud our dog sneaks in with occasionally) in a dark-ish color (to help hide the dirt Austin seems to track in with each trip outside).

4 - Railing: The stair railing that is going down those stairs is... eh... not good. It's wood at the top, and partially painted white near the bottom. And now it's gotten worn down from when Austin was little and we tried keeping him down there instead of in his crate (it didn't work out, since he chewed on the railing and tried to pull up the stair carpet!). So we originally thought about refinishing that railing, but have since nixxed (is that a word?) that. We'll be replacing it with a new railing that will eventually match the railing upstairs (when we get around to replacing that one).

5 - Door: The downstairs door does it's job... but that's about it. It's yellowed (thanks to our chain-smoking previous owner) and isn't the prettiest. So we're going to try maybe painting it and hanging blinds in front of the window (but secretly, I'm not above just replacing the thing!).

6 - Heater: We have a baseboard heater downstairs, and it makes me nervous. It's old (though it does still work) and it's an ugly brown/tan color. Ideally, I want to replace it, but I'm not sure if we can. And honestly, I'm not sure that we could find anything safer to put in it's place. Baseboard heaters in general make me nervous, so getting another one probably won't make me feel any better, but I'm wondering if we can get one that at least won't be such an eye sore and will look a lot better when we go to sell in a few years.

7 - Storage: We have NONE! Unless you count putting stuff on top of the dryer, there's no where to put anything. This may seem like it would have a simple solution, but unfortunately it's not that simple. On the left wall is a set of three water valves that need to be easily accessible. In a perfect world, we could hang a shelving/cabinet unit and cut a hole to fit the valves inside... we have a fuse box on the right side. So we can't just cut a hole for something like that (obviously) and definitely can't make it hard to access. And hanging something just to the left would look awkward (take my word for it), so that's not really an option, either. So we basically have one solid option: shelves. I'm good with this option. I am. BUT (you knew there'd be a "but", didn't you?!) just hanging shelves means that you'll have to look at those water valves and fuse box, also. I'm pretty sure they'll stick out even more once the walls have been painted, too, so we're researching a few options for covering those bad boys up.

Anywho - that's the plan, for now. It's a big one, but it's still doable (that's what she said). Hopefully in a month or two, we'll have some after pictures to show you all (not without some good before shots, that is). In the meantime, my sister is helping me put a mood board together (and by "helping", I mean I'm giving her the info, and she's making it... just to clarify), so look for that in the next few days. Hopefully, having this info and the mood board will convince McStudly that my plan is awesome and my genius shouldn't be doubted.

...a girl can dream, can't she?!

Holy Goodness!

2010-02-05T23:26:00.004-05:00

Where in the WORLD (is Carmen San Diego!) has the past month+ gone?? Oh my word, I never intended to take that kind of a blog-slacker-"vacation", but it happened.

I'm officially a bad blogger (not that I was all that fantastic to begin with, if I'm being honest... but hey - it's my blog, so we'll just go with it, mmkay?). Really, though - what happened to me??

Oh THAT's right. Work got completely nuts, on me... as did my schedule outside of work... and then there's that marriage of mine that I'm trying to maintain... and a house to at least attempt to keep up with (which I'm not all that fantastic with due to the other bazillions of things). Mix it all up, and what do we have? A pretty good excuse for skipping out on the not-so-necessary stuff, like blogging.

Well, needless to say - a lot has been going on. Unfortunately, I can't write about a lot of it because, even though this is my blog and it's for my personal babbling, it's not really all that personal. And as much as I love being honest and up front, I'm not really one of those people that can put something out there, knowing it could hurt some one's feelings if they read it. So we'll be keeping a whole lot of stuff off the blog, BUT I will give you some good stuff to hopefully make up for it.

So where have we been - Ah yes. Christmas vacation happened - it was fabulous! But of course was over way too quickly. There was some confusion in our return date and we ended up staying a day longer than we all originally thought, but ah well. It was much needed (we were already packed up and got to purely relax the next day... ha ha!) and much enjoyed. I really enjoy getting to spend time with McStudly's family and look forward to his mother hopefully coming to visit us again sometime soon (woot woot!). :-)

Then there was New Years. The FIRST New Years Eve that McStudly and I could finally spend together... and we didn't. :-/ I was bummed, but ah well. I guess I'll get over it. He went to a party with our Young Adults group at church, and I helped out with the Youth event (which was awesome, btw) at church. I was POOPED afterwards... ask any of the other leaders. It was nothing but evident on my face. I am SO glad our Youth pastor doesn't do lock-ins or all-nighters. (Plus, I just realized that I may officially be an "old fogey", now, with that statement... Nice!)

Birthdays! Mine wasn't super fantastic, but it wasn't horrible. I actually had a great time going out to dinner with some ladies from church. It was nice! Just a couple ladies that I enjoy being around and some food that I love Love LOVE! So, good times. McStudly's birthday was pretty uneventful... well, there was a football game and some guy time while I hung out with a pal, and then we went out the next day (thanks to a nice and needed holiday from work) to celebrate together, just the two of us. Good times, again!

Let's see... what else is there...

Ah yes - the Clinic! Remember way back in THESE posts when I said I was going to train to be a volunteer counselor for a Pregnancy Clinic? Well, I did. And I am. It's a pretty long process, but I am LOVING it!! I'm not almost up to week 5 of my internship. There's SO much to learn, but thankfully I have an amazing Senior Counselor that I'm shadowing. She really is great. I'm learning SO much and with every session that I observe and even the ones we just discuss, I get more and more excited about the work we're doing. And I'm seriously amazed with how much information I'm picking up and absorbing. *sigh* It's really great.

Well, I can't think of much else to catch you up on, currently. Wait - that was a lie. I have plenty, but to be honest, I'm tired and have quite the headache. Not a fun combination, especially when you and your husband have an agreement to go to bed together and he's in the middle of a very intense (as opposed to...??) video game online. I do have some things I'd like to think out and type up to clarify, but I don't think it's going to happen right now. Perhaps being snowed in will give me the chance to do a bit more of that?

...then again I have a LOT that I could be getting done around the house...

...nah!

It Came and Went

2010-01-08T14:02:00.002-05:00

Yesterday was my birthday!! :-)

I was planning to blog, but I didn't get the chance. I was super busy at work and then had plans in the evening, so... it just didn't happen.

And I'm still swamped at work today! This is the week that just won't let me relax!! Oy!

I'll catch up with you guys, I promise!! I still have Christmas pictures and such to post. I'm way behind!

Forgive me?!

Provision

2009-12-31T13:22:00.005-05:00

It's been a great year... and I've been blog-M.I.A. for most of it (yeah. Sorry about that!), but it's been great, nonetheless.

With so much that's happened this year, I can't help but see God's hand and provision in our lives. Even through that crazy chaotic man-made house flood of ours, we received new carpet throughout the house, tiling in the bathroom (which we would've had to pay for ourselves), fresh new paint in various rooms... we couldn't have PLANNED that!

When McStudly was diagnosed with Crohns' disease, even after several hospital stays and medical appointments... countless pills and medicine trials... we hardly payed a dime for any of it (I actually don't think that we payed anything for any of it). We had amazing medical coverage through the military, fabulous doctors and facilities in our local area, understanding bosses and co-workers that covered for us, supportive family that checked in on us, and fabulous friends that helped make sure we felt loved and were taken care of. We couldn't have ASKED for anything better!

Even in our finances I can see him working. When bills came in higher than planned for (like when the electric company WAY overestimated our charges: think 8 months worth of bill credits) and life just... happened - cracked windshields, a sick dog, and home makeover mishaps (plenty of those in this house) - we were covered.

Just this month, Austin had quite a few dollars spent on vet bills... and by quite a few I mean the total is now over $1.2k on something as simple as ringworm (PS: much more serious on dogs, than humans, fyi). Somehow we were able to pay for (not charge) his vet bills the first time around... don't ask me how! But I thought for sure that there would be no way we could do it again. And I was right - we could not. But with God, all things are possible - and we are able to do it again. The vet said he needs one more round of meds to be sure it doesn't come back, and "somehow" we have the extra money to pay for that and his boarding expenses. I noticed last week, after doing some quick budget math (am I the only one that keeps a spreadsheet for each month that details how much goes to which bills for each paycheck, how much into savings, how much for spending, etc? Okay... call me precise and just shy of obsessive, but it works.) that we had about an extra $1k in savings that I couldn't really account for. Every bill is payed and already pulled up to date. There are no pending checks, and no pending withdrawals. We had planned to use the extra money to pay off our credit card, but when Austin needed vet visits, I knew it would be going towards that instead. But here's the cool part: we somehow didn't spend much (hardly any) of our allotted spending money over vacation... That's about $150 that we didn't use. And $269 just came in the mail as a reimbursement from our first round of vet bills (have I mentioned that I absolutely LOVE having pet insurance? Cause I do.) which I had totally forgotten about.

That's a total of: $419.00 that I had no way of accounting for beforehand. It was like surprise money... bonus cash.

So when I went to pick up Austin this morning from the vet's office, where he was boarding and had been re-checked by the vet, guess how much I had to pay?!

*drumroll please*

That would be a total of $406.68!

Isn't that amazing?! Not only are the vet bills covered out of pocket without even remotely affecting our regular monthly budget and bills, but we can also afford to pay off our credit card, now, with the extra money I "found" in savings.

Because we have been faithful to him in our finances and tithing, God has blessed us more than we could even IMAGINE through our finances.

As 2009 comes to a close, this evening, I look back and can see how God has blessed us way beyond what we could ever have planned, asked or imagined.

With this kind of provision from a truly wonderful, loving God that cares enough about me to even notice and cover the "little" things in life, I can't help but feel a peaceful confidence over whatever will be thrown our way in 2010.

May God continue to bless and care for you and yours, and may you be able to someday look back and see his hand in everything.

Happy New Year!

Just a quickie

2009-12-11T16:17:00.004-05:00

Okay - I don't have time to update much, right now, but hopefully I can fill in some blanks on Monday, for you. Last Friday was McStudly's squadron party, and a buddy of his won a free limo ride to and from the Naitonal Christmas tree. So that's where we're going tonight, and it should be pretty cool... and by cool I mean FREEZING!!!

Last night I finished my final night of training with the Pregnancy Clinic. I move on to my internship and then go forward from there. SOOOO excited! And I've got LOADS to tell you about all of that training, etc. Can't wait to fill you in!

And last, but definitely not least, we get to visit with McStudly's family in the next month or so. We're REALLY looking forward to that, except for the fact that it's already been FREEZING!!! it was in the single digits here, last night, and even colder where they are. YUCK!

So... I'll try to give you more deets on all of that next week, but for now I gotta go get ready for a fun evening, followed by a jam-packed couple of weeks.

Gotta love the Holidays, eh?!

SURPRISE!!

2009-12-03T14:34:00.003-05:00

This just makes me giggle everytime... minus the weirdo that;s talking at the end. :-D

Putting My Foot Down

2009-12-01T15:48:00.003-05:00

Okay - so I'm overwhelmed, right now. There's a lot going on at once and I'm going to have to put a stop to some things.

I tend to get pretty close tot he "too much at once" line. It's part of who I am. I don't know why I do it, but I do. So when other people start kind've pushing me closer and closer, I'm pretty understanding at first. I mean... they don't know everything I'm doing. They see their small snippet and think that's it. I do the same thing to others, I'm sure.

After all, you never really know what's going on in someone's heart and life. It's not like they walk around with their schedule and emotional status pinned on their sleeves... I hope...

But I'm at the point where the pushing is getting old. Look - I've given you more than I probably should have to begin with, but that's it. That's what you get, take it or leave it.

This probably sounds uber confusing to most of you. But this is my main source of venting, and it's been WAY too long since I've unleashed some frustration that I've been holding in. Forgive me for not explaining everything, but it'll probably just be even more confusing. Try to bear with me.

I just can't take it anymore. I can handle pushing and shoving with a good amount of grace, but I have a limit. I try to hint at first. You know... maybe they aren't aware how much they're pushing me... I try to give them the benefit and think they can't possibly know it's starting to hurt a little, so I tell them no. It's ever so polite and simple at first.

Why can't it end there?

So they smile and "hear" what I say, without really listening.

I say it again. A little less smile this time, and maybe a little info as to why, like "I'm stretched pretty thin as it is, so..." and hope that they get it.

I know they aren't stupid. I know they are smart people. They really really are smart. Why aren't the understanding me. Did I suddenly learn Spanish so well that I don't even realize I'm speaking in the wrong language? I'm gonna lean towards no on that one. I'm pretty sure it's English... and besides, after 2 years of Spanish in high school, I only really know how to say "where are my pants?" (don't ask), so there's no way I suddenly picked it up.

And then it gets to where I am now. I've put my foot down 3 or 4 times now, and they just aren't getting it.

And this is where I'm stuck. Do I go all diva on them and MAKE it known that I am not at their beck and call? Or maybe I need to put it in writing... or equations, even. Like maybe this:

Me = not + available ( - current commitment) = no more tasking

Wait. That isn't nearly simple enough.

But they keep putting me in the position of almost having to take it to that point. And what grinds my gears is the fact that I'm pretty sure that's their goal. They're asking me publicly, in front of people, to where I almost have to say yes. And then it's super awkward when I say no, because they've already moved on, as if I've already given them a yes. But umm... hello?! "Umm yeah, sorry. I actually can't."

Then their faces... It's like I hauled off and slapped their granny.

Really, people? I'm trying to be as super nice and kind about this as I can. This is your thing, not mine. I have no obligations here whatsoever. But you really want me to seem like some kind of diva-fied chick that will walk if she doesn't get her way? Reminder: This isn't something I signed up for. I was asked to do a favor, and I conceded. Then I went a step further when you needed more help, and then again. But that's it. I've already gone three miles with the 1 inch I gave. I'm way past running on empty here.

Other parts of my life are currently suffering. Other people in my life are now suffering. Relationships that are very important to me are whithering and just short of dying.

But all you see is how this is affecting you and your plans.

Am I the only one that has problems like this? I'm trying to hard to be nice and forgiving and understanding, but it's really hard when the other parties aren't giving it a second thought.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

CLARIFICATION:
I should probably clarify something right now. This has NOTHING to do with anything else that I've blogged before. Ever. Never ever.

In fact, if you think you know what I'm talking about... you probably do not have any idea. If you want to know, feel free to e-mail me at sarahpuhl [at] gmail [dot] com. I'll clarify. I'm trying to be vague for several reasons, so I'm sorry if I've created a ton of confusion.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Okay. Enough of that. I guess I needed to vent a little more then I originally thought. For those of you that stuck with me - any advice? I could really use it right now. Like for reals.

You Were Warned

2009-11-25T14:04:00.003-05:00

Right? I mean... in all fairness I did say I'd be a bit of a blogging phantom.

Things have been crazy, just as I suspected they'd be. BUT there's an "end" in sight. My clinic training class only has 2 weeks left (we're of this week, but then 2 to go!) and then it's I'll start the internship. As crazy as the past 8 weeks have been, I've been loving every minute of it! I can't wait to talk to you all about the things I've learned through all of this. From simple communication skills to learning to explain complex medical procedures, as well as training to better evangelise to the clients when given the opportunity. I've absolutely LOVED it!

As for everything else, working on the house kind've died off for the holidays I'm sure we may get a few things done here or there, but we really want to just be able to enjoy our time together instead of running around every chance we get.

I've been slowly getting back into sewing, and I'm still totally enjoying that, as well. I think it has something to do with the challenge involved and seeing a project all the way from start to finish. Who knows... whatever it is, it's a great hobby and I can't wait to keep improving and building on it as I go! Just this past weekend I made an envelope pillow cover (finally!) for the ugly pillows that came with our living room furniture, and I can't WAIT to make more so those hideous little things will no longer be seen. AND I finally had the time to finish a bib for a friend of mine. It turned out MUCH better than I thought it would, to be honest. It velcros around the neck and the entire thing is covered in vinyl so that it can easily be wiped off/cleaned, AND the bottom folds up and snaps around to create a little pocket for catching the food that baby drops or spits out. It's not perfect, but it it pretty cute, if I say so myself. I'm so proud!

Now I just want to make something for myself - clothes-wise, that is. I LOVE making baby stuff and pillows because, well let's be honest, everything looks cute on babies! And not many people analyze your couch pillows for imperfections, either, right?! So I'm eager to make something a little more detailed, but not quite ready for that dress pattern I bought before. I'm still working up to that one. Then again... I'm feeling pretty daring this holiday season, so maybe I'll give it a shot?!

Anywho - that's kind've what we've been up to lately. Wait - that was just me. Here's what McStudly's been up to: Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2.

...Yep - that about sums it up. ha ha ha... he plays while I sew, and it works out, I suppose. :-P

OH! I almost forgot - he started a new kind of treatment last week for his Crohns'. It went really well. We went in to Walter Reed in the morning, they went over everything with him and start him on the infusion - it took about 3 hours, or so, and he didn't have any reactions to it, which is fabulous! He goes in again next week, then 4 weeks later, and then the doctor will decide if he'll go every 6 or 8 weeks after that. AND this means he can finally stop taking those stupid steroids we both hate with a fierce fiery passion. Can I get a "woot woot"?! WOOOOT WOOOOT!!

Well, I think that about catches you up for now. I have still been reading your blogs, I promise. I even comment as often as I can!! But I tell you what, following y'alls blogs could be a full-time job. I TOTALLY enjoy it, but then I never have time to blog myself. Am I the only one?! ha ha

Anywho - did I miss anything? Got any questions or curiosities for me?!

Toodles!!

PS: I will be posting pictures of the house eventually, but I want to finish showing the before pictures before I start on the afters. And since we're not quite at the "after" point, yet, it buys me a little time to get stuff done. Score!! :-D

Blurred Vision

2009-10-22T10:09:00.006-04:00

Between training class, homework, painting, visiting family, and just pure exhaustion I have been quite the blog slacker.

My bad!

I don't ever mean to slack off this much, but one day turns into 3, which becomes 5 and then before I know it, it's been a week and a half with no blogging!! Holy goodness!

This week, McStudly and I vowed to do absolutely nothing beyond what was absolutely necessary. Needless to say, we've only been doing dishes in the Puhl household. We worked so stinking hard the last couple of weeks that we are pooped! So this week has been relaxing, catching up on our backlog of tv shows (our poor DVR was at 96%, which I didn't think was possible), eating yummy meals at home again (after eating out so much due to our rush), and just enjoying each other's company.

It's been so nice. It's already Thursday and I am SO glad we've spent most of the week relaxing. We didn't get everything done that we wanted to before his mom got into town, but we were close! I know I'll be forgetting something, but here's a quick version of what we did in just 2 weeks:

- prime everything

- paint living room

- paint kitchen

- paint spare bedroom

- catch up on laundry that's WAY overdue

- new faceplates on all outlets and switches (except in the master bedroom)

- fresh paint on window sills and doorways in the kitchen and living room

- switch up a bit of the decor for fall (and to go with the new orange wall)

- dust EVERYthing (also long overdue)

- vacuum everywhere

- BIG bathroom clean downstairs

- TOTAL bathroom wipe-down upstairs (again - long overdue, but our toilet is kept clean, I'm not that gross!)

- dressers de-cluttered

- kitchen table de-cluttered (it collected quite the random mix while we were getting all of this work down around the house)

And, as is with any Puhl House remodelling project, we ran into a few setbacks along the way (thankfully, there was no need to call the Home Owners Insurance this time around):

- primer was spilled on the carpet (have I mentioned how clumsy I am?!). We had to stop everything we were doing to clean that junk up... scrub. Rent a rug doctor from the local grocery store (thank goodness someone had thought of that) and steam the rest of that mess outta there. Luckily, we acted fast and furious and you can't tell ANYthing was spilled, now - SCORE!

- Austin, our McPup, was spending one of our paint days over at my parents' house with Luke, their Labrador, frolicking through the backyard care free. Well, apparently something either bit him or somehow infected him, because he came home with a bump on his side. We checked him for ticks, and found nothing. Then, a week later, the hair feel off on that spot. Eek! Then it seemed like it was getting a little bigger. I took him to the vets immediately and they thought it may be something as simple as ringworm and gave me some ointment to put on his boo boo twice daily. It seems to be helping a little, and I think the hair is finally starting to grow back, BUT the samples they took turned out negative for ringworm. Who knows what it was! He never really reacted to us touching it or anything, but I'm glad he's finally getting better. My poor little puppy!

- I bought some white touch-up paint for the ceiling and trim and such. Well, I didn't pay a ton of attention and accidentally bought sating finish, instead of flat. Needless to say, the ceiling now has a few shiny spots. It's a little weird, but it's only temporary. I finally bought some flat paint and we'll be fixing that oopsie pretty soon. Nice, huh?!

- I bought the wrong size blinds for our windows. :-( My bad. Luckily Lowes is awesome and I just returned them for the right ones, but it was still a bummer, for sure!

- We didn't even think to check for the studs in the wall when putting up the curtain rods. Let's just say it ended up not happening, and we now have 4 new holes to patch and paint over. Awesome, right? yeah... we didn't think so either. And we're way tired of our nosy neighbor looking into our house through our deck door. Creeper!!

We still have a little bit of work to do, like painting the trim and window sills in the spare bedroom, and replacing all of the outlets and switches (we ended up just putting the faceplates on the old ugly ones to save time last week). And the blinds and curtains need to be hung, too, so we'll have to get that taken care of sometime, too, I guess.

Basically, a TON has been done, but there'e still a lot left to do. I will leave you, today with pictures of our yucky old green kitchen. It looks like green threw up in there because it was EVERYwhere! Way too much green, and not the nice pretty green, either. Check it:

Equations of Leadership

2009-10-20T21:20:00.002-04:00

Leadership = not promoting yourself

Leadership = honoring others

Leadership = being faithful with what you've been given

Leadership = partnering with your leader's vision

Leadership = FULLY putting your heart into what you do and believing in it entirely

Leadership = reflecting your passion in what you do

Leadership = not living in denial, but focusing on God and the positive for a moment and putting all of your situation and hurt to the side to just focus on Him and nothing else

Decisions, Decisions

2009-10-09T11:10:00.007-04:00

So I've recently been presented with a few decisions that need to be made, and it's forcing me to really evaluate where I am, right now.

For those of you who have read fairly regularly, you know the McStudly and I are really involved in our church. We love it! I really wish, most of the time, that I could get paid to do that instead of working at the full-time job I have (though I do actually enjoy that, as well). Ah well... one can dream, right?!

Anywho, I was recently approached about becoming more (or perhaps just a tad differently and a bit more frequently) involved in one of the areas that I thoroughly enjoy. And in actuality, it was literally a dream come true... as in - I had a dream about it a week or so ago. Crazy, right?! Yeah. I thought so, too. And when this person told me the other night that they had something they wanted to talk to me about, my thoughts went to this dream. Of course, being of the female persuasion and all, my thoughts then quickly went to "am I in trouble?" or "what did I do?!", but I was assured I was not in trouble at all... though I was still a bit anxious about it (who wouldn't be?!).

I said I'd talk to McStudly about it, since it involved more of a time commitment and I"m already pretty spread in several different directions (which actually caused them to almost not ask me at all, because they knew I was so busy. Nice, eh?).

So, basically, I've been thinking about it a lot. Like a LOT lot. I'm not one to believe in these kinds of coincidences as purely random, but more like purposeful. Does that make sense?! Between the dream, and thinking this was what it would be about... and then actually being right. I dunno - call me crazy!

But here's where I struggle. Remember I said I'm already pretty spread in several different directions? Yeah. As in here's what I do on any given week: Sunday morning: church (sometimes both services). Sunday evening: Underground (Young Adults). Monday: free (woohoo!). Tuesday: worship practice. Wednesday: church early for prep and then helping with Fusion (Youth service). Thursday: Pregnancy clinic training. Friday: free (hopefully date-night). Saturday: who knows... cleaning, laundry (yeah right, ha!), sleeping in!!!

I'm not insanely busy, I suppose, but keep in mind that Tuesday - Thursday activities are not including McStudly. He isn't involved int he worship team, or youth, or the pregnancy clinic. So we see each other before and after, but it's kind've like ships passing in the night. Also, there are monthly meetings involved (sometimes multiple) with all of these ministries, so they usually take up another night or two, here and there, so it's ends up being one packed month after another.

I say all of this to get to my point, I suppose. Making this change means that I need to make a sacrifice somewhere else. That's why this isn't a "Well, of course!" kind of a thing, right now.

Sidenote: On top of that, the McStud and I have been having a very... trying week (we all have them - you know where you just keep butting heads and/or missing each other and it's juts rough all around?! Yeah. That kind.), so that hasn't really helped, much.

I really want to do this, but I don't know how I feel about stepping down in the other areas I'm involved in. It's not easy. It's going to take a lot of thought and prayer, as well as discussion with the hubster before a decision is reached.

FYI: in case you're wondering, it's not like I'll be moving to Africa, or anything, so you may think I'm making a bigger deal out of this than I need to (not that you know what it is, or anything), but to me, it's personally a hard decision.

I just feel torn, I guess is the best way to put it. I'm involved in all of these ministries because of various reasons, but mainly because I have a heart to be there. So it's not like I could just drop it like a bad habit and move on to something else, ya know?! It's hard to see something that seems so right just out of your reach, and you have to let go of something else to get to it... sometimes more than one "something else", like in my case - I feel like letting go of just one thing won't really change anything or make extra time or add less stress, but that it would take letting go of two things just for the 1.

Am I babbling? Or hopefully I'm at least making a little teenie bit of sense in here, somewhere?!

Maybe blogging about it is helping me to feel like I'm working things out. Pen to paper (or fingers to keyboard, in this case) can really help me sort out my thoughts, sometimes.

All I know is with all that went before this - the dream, kind've seeing it coming (does it sound bad to say that?! It feels like it sounds really snobby and braggadocios - Ooh... HUGE points for using that word in a blog on a Friday!!), and then actually hearing it. I don't know - call me crazy, but I feel like this is where God wants me. And on top of all that, I've already been trying to stretch myself in this area. I mean... McStudly and I have had many a conversation about it and my trying to better myself and step out of my comfort zone (that could be a whole other blog in itself!), and then this happens. So is it weird of me to think that all of this is playing a part in the bigger picture, somehow? I just can't shake the feeling.

And maybe that's why I feel so compelled to lean in this direction, while knowing that it'll take some sacrifice to get there.

Could that be the point? I trust God. I really do. But am I the only one that still questions things... even the things I really feel that he's leading me towards? What is WRONG with me?!?!

Why do we do this? We hold so tight onto the things that we know. The things that are familiar. the things we're comfortable with... even though we know that God has bigger and better plans for us to move on to.

It's like I know what I need to do, but I worry too much about actually doing it. Or I feel like I'll be letting someone down or putting someone else in a bad spot by stepping down and/or out of the other ministries.

*lightbulb moment*

Hang on a second... is that maybe a form of pride?! Do I somehow, without realizing it, hold myself so highly that I think the other people... the other ministries can't do without me? Ouch. Talk about a public realization of fault, man. I'm discovering, openly, on my blog that I'm dealing with pride in an area I had no idea was there. This blog post is getting heavier and heavier the more I type.

Sidenote: Am I the only one that is doing this? Is there any chance that maybe you guys are dealing with similar forms of pride? I mean... God can do the impossible. We sing it. We say it. We may shout it from time to time. But then there's that dang old box, again, and we think that he can't carry on a ministry without use. Ouch ouch OUCH! Please be honest... I feel like I may be the only one, right now, and that's not making me feel so good. :-(

Wow. I need to deal with that. Like yesterday! And I think that, maybe, I just made my decision. ??

Of course I'll be talking to McStudly about it more (we actually get to SEE each other tonight. Squeea!) and praying about it a little more, but can I ask you a HUGEmongous favor?? Can you all pray for me, too? For both the decision, and now, apparently, my subconscious issues with pride, too?

Gesh... why is humility so difficult that you don't even realize you are missing it, most of the time?! I'm missing the mark and somehow I feel like I'm still shooting straight. Ugh!!

Well, I've carried on long enough, and given you enough of a Serious Pill for this Friday. Hope it wasn't too big to swallow, and that you'll be honest enough with yourself (...and possibly the rest of us?!) to do it. I'm going to go get to work on "fixing" myself. Thank God for his unconditional grace, cause Lord knows I need it!!

Hope you all have a great weekend, and I'd LOVE to hear how you guys feel about what I said. And just so you know, I'm not typically one of those planner kind of bloggers. I really was just figuring this whole thing out as I typed... I'm working on being as genuine as possible (it's part of my pregnancy clinic training), and I feel this might be the best way to keep myself real (it's awfully safe here, behind this computer).

Anywho, take care and I'll catch you on the flipside!

Toodles! :-)

Yee Gatz!

2009-10-05T12:54:00.010-04:00

*Music Man reference, for those of you wondering about my curious choice of blog title.

I got an award!! Thanks to Jaime @ fearfully and wonderfully made for this gem:

So here's what I have to do:

- tell you 5 things that I'm obsessed with, and

- tag 5 other fabulous friends

And the obsessions are (in no particular order):

1. Music. Umm... I don't even think I need to explain this one. Just check this blog, this one, oh and probably this one, too, if you have the time and need a kill an hour or two. :-P

2. Organization. Well, this is in theory, I guess. We are currently undergoing "mission organize" at the Puhl house, with hopes of "completing" it before McStudly's mom is in town in a few weeks. The problem? We have done little to probably no organization whatsoever since we moved in just over a year ago (wow, has it been that long already?!). So, needless to say, there's a LOT to do. So sometimes I sit at work and daydream about how I'll organize the spare bedroom, or what our bedroom will look like all put together and organized. *sigh Someday, right?!

3. Crafts. Specifically sewing, but really a lot of things, actually, though I can't really take part in all that I want to do. I've been WAY into sewing lately, and am loving it! Though, at the moment, my sewing machine is in a pile of stuff while we finish painting the entire downstairs and spare bedroom upstairs. But seriously, I am always coming up with new ideas, and my friend Queen Rosh and I's Etsy shop will even be up soon (we're hoping). I can't wait and I have just LOVED getting crafty, lately. But I also have this dream of refinishing a chair, or old antique dresser/hutch (but I don't have the space), and also creating a personalized painting for our dining room wall. Hopefully I'll at least get to do that last one, but we'll see, I suppose.

4. Blogs. Although I haven't been the best at posting, lately, I am still WAY obsessed with reading y'alls blogs. It's a sickness, I think. Sometimes, when you don't post, I even sit there and hit refresh a few times, or go out and come back to the page just to make sure my computer isn't just lagging or messing with me. It's that out of control! Thankfully, I've learned to sometimes be able to control my urges to get some work done and catch up (which is why I've been so pseudo-silent the past few weeks... catching up from all of the other slacking off I have been doing!) on things, but there are still days, like today, where all I can think about is what you guys are up to, or your witty blog banter, or what I could come up with for the day that will get your comments rolling. So perhaps instead of just blogs, I'm even more obsessed with getting comments? It's pretty sad how much it drives me, but I'm so into them that I actually have been known to be sad when I only get 1 or 2 (though I'm WAY WAY WAY excited to even get those!!). It's a sickness!! See? I told you I'm obsessed...

5. TV. Well, let me explain - I'm not obsessed with tv, in general, but more so with certain tv shows. There are several shows that McStudly and I really follow, and I'm the kind of person that genuinely gets upset when a season finale leaves too much in question. I get SO upset! Like Bones - it's got to be my all-time favorite show. But the season finale last season? HORRIBLE!! Booth was just waking up from a coma and didn't remember Brennan? What kind of crap was THAT?! You better beLIEVE that I watched that season opener (which left too much of a gap, if you ask me). We DVR like EVERYthing, just in case. Especially since it's football season and all... can't miss an episode of these shows (in no particular order): Bones, Criminal Minds, How I Met Your Mother, NCIS, Army Wives (haven't watched this week, but we seriously need some more drama, people), Big Bang Theory, Castle, Ghost Whisperer (though it's losing me, slowly), Chuck, and a few others I can't remember at the moment for whatever reason.

Well, there you have it. A few obsessions I'm currently stuck with, but not really minding too much.

**Random thought of the day: Do you guys remember the Nickelodeon cartoon "Doug"? I LOVED that cartoon! For whatever reason, I've had various different songs by "the Beets" stuck in my head, all day. Remember this one?: "Bangin on a trash can. Drummin on a street light. Strummin with my banjo. One little voice is callin me callin me..." ha ha ha. Too fun!! *sigh Ah the memories.

Grr...

2009-10-05T12:22:00.002-04:00

I'm mid-blog-update, so try and bear with me as I redesign the blog, just a smidge.

ktksbye

Smitten as a Kitten

2009-10-02T16:05:00.004-04:00

So last night I embarked on a journey that I am absolutely THRILLED about!! It's something I've wanted for quite some time, now, but things just didn't happen.

It's been about 2 or more years in the making and I just cannot believe it's actually HERE!!

I'll give you a minute to guess....

*whistling*

*twiddling thumbs*

*barely containing excitement*

*sitting on hands*

OHHHHKAYYY!!!! I can't hold it in anymore...

Last night was the 1st night. I am officially in training to be a counselor at the local Pregnancy Clinic!! I CANNOT wait!!!! You have NO idea how big of a passion this is for me. It's not something I've blogged about much, if at all, because I tend to keep things like-hearted and not-so-deep.

Wait.

That was a lie... an unintentional one, but one nonetheless. I do get deep on here, sometimes, but usually about deeply personal battles and things like my absurd obsession/passion with music. But not about this kind of stuff, I guess.

Hang on - this IS something deeply personal!! What's wrong with me?! Why haven't I talked about this sooner??

Am I blogging to myself again. Great. *sigh* I'm a looney! (what else is new?!)

ANYwho, I'm ecstatic! It's a 10 week training course. And by training course, I mean there's this ENORMOUS book we go through, and it's complete with homework and case studies and even.... *GASP* ROLE PLAYING!!! Oh who am I kidding, I'm eating it UP!

For the longest time I've had such a HUGE heart women and children. Mainly those that have been/are being abused and/or orphaned and/or abandoned. I mean the bible counts caring for these as true religion. How is that NOT a big deal?!

Well, I have had dreams, since at LEAST middle school, of one day opening my own clinic for women. It consists of 7 parts, and maybe I'll share it with you someday. But this is like the BIGGEST step toward any of that that I've ever ever taken.

Once the 10 weeks is up, and I've not only passed, but been evaluated and "invited" to come counsel (I don't know how else to say that they don't just take anyone in just because they went through the training...), then there's a while longer of actual training where I start sitting in with a senior counselor before I'm doing it on my own. All of this is SO stinking exciting to me!

Can you believe it?

So we started training last night. It was mostly administrative stuff and just barely dabbling into a few easy peasy case studies and such, but it's already got me so excited about the next 9 weeks (well, technically 10 since we skip Thanksgiving week, for obvious reasons).

There are 2 super cool parts of the training, to me:

1 - There is SUCH an amazingly diverse group of people that are a part of it. People from nearly every denominational church background you could possibly think of. (The clinic requires that you be active in a local church and that the Pastor of that church "backs" your volunteering there.) There's also a mix of different backgrounds, period. From Young to Old. From Experienced to Inexperienced. From those who have had an abortion at some point in there lives to those who have only heard about it, and even to those (like myself) who have watched as friends have made the decision and have seen how it has so immensely affected their lives, to this day. It's just so amazing to see all of that come together under one cause.

and

2 - Although this organization that runs this clinic is Faith-based, we do not shove the gospel down the throats of those that walk through the door. Now, don't get me wrong - I believe in Jesus Christ as my personal forgiving and loving Savior and I would LOVE for everyone to feel the same way. But UNfortunately, they don't. And these girls come to the clinic for guidance and counsel, not to be rebuked and preached to. Good grief - could you imagine if a girl walked through the door scared out of her mind thinking she was pregnant, and feeling alone, and the first thing someone said to her was more about her sin or about how she needed Jesus then about meting her where she is? Don't get me wrong, I believe she needs him, but even Jesus himself didn't throw that in people's faces as soon as he met them. He took the time to get to know people and "minister" to them where they needed it. People are individual beings. They are wired VERY differently, and God himself did the wiring (although some of it gets a little mixed up through the pitfalls of life, etc), so how can we treat them all the same and expect that they all need the same treatment?

I'm also very excited about some of the aspects of training that will be coming. Not only are we being trained to counsel others, but I know I'll be learning a CRUD-load about myself.

Get this: after talking, last night, about the difference between ministering and manipulating (would you be surprised by the gray area that exists there? Ask and I'll explain it. I never personally thought about it before last night.), in a few weeks we'll be discussing the masks that we put on as counselors, whether it be developing a camaraderie because we've been there, or a "mentor" type position because we know the answers they need, or maybe even judging them, internally, because of the situation they are in.

WOW!

Again, I didn't even THINK about this stuff until we started dealing with it last night, but we ALLLL do it! We take SOME sort of a stance and put our mask on and move forward.

Well, basically that's that. I'm SUPER stoked about it and cant' wait to start my homework for this week. Squeeaa!! :-D

Whoopsie!

2009-09-30T16:35:00.002-04:00

So We've been kicking it into high gear, lately, in the Deep End of the Puhl household.

Not only are my friend Queen Rosh and I still putting the finishing touches on our Etsy store (to soon be open, for those of you interested... it's only taken us, what, like 2 months, now?), but McStudly and I are also kicking it with repainting the entire first floor of our home. It usually takes lighting a fire under us to get things rolling, and since his mother will be in town in a few weeks, we thought it'd be the best excuse to finally get it done!

We started priming last week, and this weekend we will be painting (hopefully!). Then it'll just be about organizing and finishing things in the spare bedroom (FINALLY!).

And don't worry - there will DEFINITELY be pictures once everything is painted... whether they're cruddy lame-excuse pictures from my phone, or I finally end up locating the missing battery charger for my camera, you will get pictures!!

So there you have it. Lots of stuff going on. And hopefully once everything gets rolling (at home, and with Etsy) you will get the full scope on all of the above. I am still reading your blogs, just don't necessarily have time to write one of my own, right about now. But I'm staying in the loop so keep those posts coming!!!

Toodles!!

Don't Make Fun... Promise?!

2009-09-22T13:14:00.007-04:00

I have to admit something. Well, I don't have to, but I'm going to.

I'm a geek.

This is not secret. But some of you will read this and be like "Ooohhhkay freak!" So I figured I should at least forewarn you.

I've shared before my love of music. Not many, if any, of you really understand how much of a passion it is for me. Well, Melody probably does, but I have yet to discover anyone else who comes even remotely close. Passion... Obsession... call it what you will, but it's part of me. It's ingrained into every fiber of my being and I'm not at ALL embarrassed by it.

However, there are times when it can embarrass me just a bit. I haven't decided if this is one of those times, or not, but who cares - it's my blog and I'll share if I want to! ha ha ha

You know those videos where... well... I don't know how to explain it, so I'll give some examples. Have you seen the video of Oprah's 24th Season kick-off party, where everyone in the crowd randomly start doing this choreographed dance together and totally shock Oprah?:

Or what about this one, where these people start dancing to that song from The Sound of Music in the middle of a Belgian train station:

Amazing, right?!

Well here's my secret (are you ready for this?!): I cry...

Every. Time. I. Watch.

Why? Well, I don't really know, but there's just this immense beauty in it all. Maybe it's something about everyone, all these different people, coming together to be a part of something SO much bigger then just themselves.

...or maybe I'm just a huge nerd.

All of this is possible, and more than likely it's going to be that last one to those of you reading this. But I don't care.

McStudly kind've chuckles at me if he manages to see my reaction (though normally I'm pretty good at hiding it from him or those around me... I think?!). I just - I really can't explain it to you. But it's SO just... amazing. There aren't words, to me.

Seriously - who else in the world do you know that's cried to "I've Got A Feelin" by the Black Eyed Peas? Or the freaking sound of music, for that matter?!

Exactly. I'm nuts.

In all fairness, I did warn you, right?!

Okay - so I've admitted it. It's now out in the open. I am publicly a huge nerd (though for some of you it wasn't exactly a secret to begin with, was it?!)

In my mind, I can kind've tie it all in with the same reason people cry during the National Anthem, or at a Military function, or maybe even stretched as far as to say during a children's musical. There's just something so spectacular about the whole thing... all of those things I just mentioned effect different people. And among the different people, there are different reactions.

But it really all boils down to the same thing, doesn't it?

So there you have it. Another embarrassing secret of mine out in the open. Have I lost you as a reader, now?! Hopefully not. But I wanted to take a little time to share a bit more of myself with you, and on a smidge deeper of a level than normal.

Hey - if you can't hide behind your computer, where can you?!

**UPDATE:

Just for your enjoyment, here are a few more videos that make me cry, ridiculously:

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Stay tuned for an update, sometime later this week (I hope!), on how McStudly's 2nd Colonoscopy and 1st Endoscopy went today (at the Military hospital, this time). And let me tell you - he took different "knock-me-out" drugs this time and is ABSOLUTELY hilarious!!! I wish I could sneak a video or picture or something, but I KNOW he'd kill me. *sigh* Ah well - don't miss it!!

Time to Grow Up... for a minute

2009-09-21T13:17:00.008-04:00

**Scroll down for info on the coming Etsy shop and prices for my homemade Baby items!!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

As much as I LOVE love love making cute little baby shtuff, I thought I should attempt a few things for around the home, as well... seeing as how that's kind've the way I convinced hubby I should get a sewing machine to begin with.

You know - to spruce up the house on a dime? Yeah. That was my angle. ;-) Aaaaand it worked.

SCORE!

Anywho, this past Saturday, McStudly and I went to a cook out at the home of one of McStudly's AF buddies. It was fun! I already know him and his wife from when we went to the Kenny Chesney concert with them a year or two back, so it was good seeing them again.

Well, back to the point of the story: it was like an hour away, so we left their house at around 6 and got home by about 7 ish, or shortly thereafter. So I decided that since I was done making baby shoes and headbands, at least for a minute or two (HA!), that I'd finally make a pillow for our couches, since I'd already bought the fabric, and whatnot.

So I did it! I made an envelope pillow (you know, kind've like a sham, where you can stick the pillow form into the back of it with no zipper or anything? Yeah that kind.) and it actually turned out pretty awesome. I'm so proud:

And my next project:

I know it's hard to see - this picture didn't turn out so hot, but it's all I have for now. This is the mock-up of the baby bib I'll be making for little Kilea's shower, next month (or whenever it ends up being). I'm going to make a similar one for Baby Sierra (well, I will once I can figure out how to make an "S" that doesn't look craptastic), and possibly Eva, as well. And don't worry - I'll be sure to update you on the project progress as time passes! ;-)

Speaking of baby showers - does it strike anyone else as super odd to plan baby showers a month AFTER the baby is born? I mean, this isn't a last minute idea, but the people planning it have planned it that way from the beginning. How weird is that?! If you ask me, although something is better than nothing, they're going to have most of what they need by then, aren't they?

Ah well. I'm sure it'll still be fun. ;-)

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Etsy and Baby Stuff:

For those of you that asked, I'm still deciding on prices and such to sell the baby shoes and headbands (and btw, I'm SO totally honored that you like them so much. It just makes my day!). I'm hoping to have an Etsy shop up soon, but if you're too anxious to wait for that, just leave me a comment, or e-mail me at sarahpuhl {at} yahoo {dot} com, and I'll get back to you on how long it'll take me to make them and/or ship them to you. I'm thinking about charging about $15, or a little less, for a set, but I'm not sure.

Be honest - is that a reasonable price? I want it to be inexpensive, but still cover the cost of supplies and shipping in the process. Would you pay that for a set? Maybe a little bit more for customization, or something? What about $15 for the set with flowers, and maybe $12 for the plain set, is that a good deal?

Let me know what you guys think and we'll go from there.

Feetsies

2009-09-19T19:14:00.005-04:00

Here's a pic of Baby Sierra Grace's booties and matching headband.

What do you think??

I took it to her parents while they were still in the hospital, and she put the headband on her - it was too cute!! I love this new-found hobby of mine. It's a blast to make the stuff and then get to see them on such wittle cutsies!!

Okay - moving on to another project... this one is going to be slightly more adult then the others.

Like I Said...

2009-09-15T14:10:00.008-04:00

I told you all that I've been getting awfully crafty lately, right?! Well, if these people would quit having babies, I could move on to a few more projects I've been wanting to work on!

Just kidding.... kind've.

Two Pastors in our church, their wives were due to have babies this week. Well, one of them done had the thing! Ha ha. Baby Sierra was born today. Congrats you guys!! I'm sure she's quite the lucky gal.

The others are set to be induced at nidmight - er - midnight (Sorry... a little Rindercella humor, for those of you who may remember) Wednesday evening. Little Kilea will be here before we know it!!

So with all these pretty little girls coming into the world, of COURSE I've had to make some adorable little baby accessories, right?! So a little set of shoes & a matching headband or two may or may not have been made for when they're a teensie bit bigger. If you scroll down, you can see the set I made for little Kilea out of a little fabric leftover from turning a dress into a shirt.

Sierra's wasn't finished, just yet. I thought I had time until Sunday, but it looks like she had other plans and insisted that she come today! Hopefully I can get everything finished tonight, or at least sometime soon and before she's outgrown it! ha ha.

Anywho - that's that. BUT I wanted to show you guys the fabric I bought to make a pillow or two for our couches (I can FINALLY replace those horrendous pillows that came with... HOORAY!!). Check it out (picture of fabric is darker than reality):

And for those of you wondering, YES I have some things up my sleeves for some little boys. I'm hoping to send some stuff to a certain blogger friend of mine, when I finally get the chance to finish it all (she shall remain nameless until I finally finish it and ship it out... then again, it's not rocket science if you want to try and guess).

So - what do you think? If I had an etsy shop, would you buy from me? I'd be cheap, I promise... and there'll be more options coming, once I get the chance to put my brainstorming session down on paper - er - fabric? :-P

Toodles!!

BRB?!

2009-09-10T16:01:00.007-04:00

Well, I just posted about excuses and being a blog slacker, and I'm still at it, aren't I? Well, a co-worker has been out for a bit, due to family emergencies (which I may share about later, once I talk to her, it's so sad) and on top of covering for her, I've been really into sewing and being crafty.

I have a few things to show you that I'm super proud of... can't wait to see what you think!!

Other than that, just got news that the military wants to do some more tests/procedures on McStudly. Well, I should say they want to period, because they weren't the ones who did it last time, and if you know anything about the military, it's not done right unless they are the ones who did it. (Can I get an Amen form my fellow MilWives?!)

Anywho - over the next 10 days or so I may still be a bit of a slacker. Tonight I'm "babysitting" a friend's little boy, so I may phone in a pic or two, depending on his mood, but otherwise I may not have a lot to blog about...

I have SO many topics and ideas and things I want to blog about, but haven't had the chance to sit down and do it. So we'll see what happens.

So sorry, guys, and hopefully I'm not lowing friends because of my slackiness! :-( I am still reading all of your blogs (which is maybe why I don't have time to write my own?) and trying to comment, but after doing that I don't find much time to write between everything else that's going on.

Anywho - I gotta run (what else is new?!), but I will try to catch up with you guys as soon as I get the chance. Toodles!

**PS: If you get the chance, and wouldn't mind, please send up a prayer for my Grampa. My Momma Bear's Dad is getting pretty old and now in a nursing home. The three girls (mom and her two sisters) are doing what they can, but only 1 of them lives anywhere near where he is. There is more health stuff going on, and in his own words, he says he's just "ready to go see mother", which is what he called their mom, who passed several years back. God love him, he's such a sweet hearted man, but I know this is really tough for all of them. Keep them in your prayers, will you? Thanks, guys. Take care!

Excuses. Excuses.

2009-09-01T09:36:00.006-04:00

You know how they say that "people in glass houses shouldn't throw stones"? Well, don't go chucking rocks at us, or anything, but I wanted to give you all an inside look into what's been going on in our lives over the last month or so, mainly while I was being a major blog slacker.

Don't kill me - I've got a good excuse this time, I promise!

So McStudly's Crohns had been flaring up again not too long ago... or still... we can't really keep track, but he was finally on some medicine that seemed to be helping. And actually, the Doctor is phasing him off of it, now, so we're doing well. HOORAY!! Prayers that this will continue would be GREATly appreciated. ;-)

As most of you know, we found out a few months ago that he would be deploying in October for 6 months. Because of that, a lot of the "out processing" was taking place, which, for McStudly, also included a lot of Doctor's visits (not so much out of the norm, but for him they were a bit different). For anyone with military insurance, you know that it's not exactly like you're best friends with your doctor, or anything. Well, if you are, your military spouse is not. They're considered lucky to even see a real doctor.

Well, it finally came time for the vaccinations, which is all fine and well, accept - that medicine that he's been taking? Yeah. It's an immuno-supressant, which basically means just that: it suppresses his immune system. The whole reason you get vaccines at all is to build up your immune system to be able to fight off the sickness you could be exposed to, right? But if you're on immuno-supressants, this isn't really a smart thing to do. I mean - your body isn't able to build up that immunity, so you'll more than likely just get whatever it is that shot (or series of scratches) was for. AND that's not so much what we're going for, is it?!

So, McStudy had to get a "deferment" for the smallpox vaccine. That's the one where they make like an obscene number of scratches in one spot on your shoulder with a "live" portion of the virus. ??? Comforting, no? AND just to help you sleep real well at night for those of you unaware, they have to keep it bandaged 24/7 until the scab falls off, or something like that. AND if somehow I ended up being pregnant, I, apparently, can't even sleep in the same bed as him or possibly the same room... and I cannot, whatsoever, come into contact with said scabby-goodness.

Awesome.

Well... needless to say, he was granted a deferment by the not-too-bright doctor. Then 15 minutes later, he had to meet with her again about the remaining vaccines.

To a normal (and I use that term relatively loosely, these days) person, you would assume he'd walk into her office... again... and she's sign a deferment for these as well. But apparently, homegirl's memory didn't serve her past the previous 10 minutes. Yep - For real. So he had to go over everything with her A-gain.

*sigh

And she, half an hour later, signed another deferment.

Then a few days later, he gets notified that he'll have to be taken before the AF Medical Evaluation Board and have his health reviewed for possible medical discharge.

Awesome. Again.

We were informed (HA! Yeah right - I mean we researched the crap out of this) that this is standard for anyone in the military that is diagnosed with Crohns' after enlistment. It's mandatory, and they were slacking up until this point. We were informed that it could take up to a year for this MedEvalBoard to happen because they were backlogged, he was like 16th on the list, and each case takes several weeks+ to process.

Upon further research, I came to the conclusion that it wouldn't make sense for them to discharge him. Not that anyone gives a flying rat's hoot (whatever that is) of my opinion, but nevertheless, it doesn't seem to make sense. He hasn't missed a single day of work. When medicated, he has everything managed. And he hasn't really been outside of a flare-up, yet, to see how he can handle things then. And seeing as how medical discharge is based on your office, ability to carry-out duties as assigned, ability to perform necessary PT (PS: he scored an 84 on the last test - mid flare-up - which is 1 single point under getting out of all organized PT session requirements... I'mjustsayin'), and the amount of work missed. They talk to our flight chief, your commander, co-workers, blah blah blah, and I don't even think most of them know he's got Crohns' disease, much less that it effects his work.

So... like was saying before, I can't imagine them having reason enough to medically discharge him, but we shall see what happens.

In the mean time, and the reason I'm writing, he has been labelled "ineligible" to deploy. They did not push his deployment back. They did not reschedule his deployment. They did not pass go. No $200 collected (that's for sure!). He's just currently not allowed to go. End. Of. Discussion.

I gotta be honest - I didn't exactly weep in a fetal position over in the corner when I found out that little tid-bit of awesomey goodness. Who would?!

But I do know that McStudly hopes, upon evaluation, that he'll be allowed to deploy in the future. He really wants to do it. He feels like it's part of what he does and that he's not being fair to all of the other guys that have to go if he doesn't. And he thinks it'd be a wicked cool experience to boot.

...not the leaving me for 6 months part... the playing G.I. Joe in the desert part. With a big gun. and a Helmet, of course (I insisted). It's like any boys dream... ish.

And while we're still just... us and no kids (minus our furry one, of course, who'll protect me while he's gone), I think I'm okay with that. It won't be easy, but I'll manage. And I'll get to have that homecoming experience that most can't even imagine.

But for now, he'll be home. With me. And I couldn't be happier. I'm so grateful that I have a little more time to prepare myself for a deployment, because I just realized that it's September 1st, and there's no WAY I'd be ready to say goodbye to him in October.

Then again... are you ever "ready"? I can't imagine so.

My Husband Rocks!

2009-08-28T17:12:00.004-04:00

Well, I can't find the little picture thingy, and I've been WAY in the slackage department when it comes to my Friday MHR posts (umm... more like blogging in general, eh?!) but I definitely wanted to post something today for him.

My McStudly is pretty awesome. And although we've been married for almost 2 years, now (holy cow, already??) and we've learned a lot, we still have SOOO so much more to learn! About each other, marriage in general, our friendship, our love languages (which seem to be ever changing), our passions, and our skills and giftings.

We've been trying to be better about vulnerability with each other, lately, but like I said - we're still learning. Still reminding ourselves that we're a team and we've got each others backs and we don't have to worry about how the other is going to respond or react.

Marriage is like a tag-team wrestling event. I'm not typically a fan, but this is a good metaphor (and I don't remember where I read that - so if I accidentally stole it from a blog, somewhere, PLEASE forgive me and feel free to site yourself in the comments)... it's like you have to have each others back in everything. You may not agree with your spouse's actions, but you work that out later, not in the moment. Know what I mean?

Like when you storm home from work all tiffed about something or other and you just want to vent about that moron at work? You don't want advice or help, most of the time, you just want them to agree with you and back you! Later on you'll be pretty open to advice of some sort in the situation, but not while it's fresh, right?? Am I the ONLY one that's like that?

Because you're a team! And if McStudly doesn't have my back, who will? Who can I count on?

Anywho - that's a lot of what we've been learning, lately, along with being vulnerable with each other and not feeling embarrassed about things. I mean - you are together for life. If you're too embarrassed in front of them, you have a LOONNG ways to go!

So basically, though it's not always the easiest to admit, my McStudly is really awesome and I love him beyond measure. I couldn't have asked for a better match.

I love you, baby, and I look forward to learning more about you!

MORE Fabulosity

2009-08-27T13:46:00.008-04:00

Who knew?! C over at Wedded Whims gave me an award! Can you believe it?! I know I sure can't... somehow my random blabberings are award-winning. I may not understand it, but I ain't too proud to take it any day - thanks C!!

Well, with this award, I'm supposed to list 5 current obsessions. Some of these may be obvious, given my recent postings, but others may not so much. Ready? Here goes:

1. Music. Well, this is kind've an all-time obsession, but that technically makes it "current", right? I love all things about it, really. I attempted to try and explain it on a friend's blog (Melody seems to have an equally obsessive take on music), but even explaining it to a fellow obsessor made me feel like a big dweeb. Oh well. It's part of me.

2. Decor. Seriously - I've been SUCH a decor fiend lately!! And I'm not just talking about how I'm trying to decorate our living room, but everything in general. I even convinced McStudly to chauffeur me out to the local Ikea last Saturday just to have a peak around and get some ideas, etc. We did buy a few candles, and cheap-o blankets for Austin, but it was mainly a giant brainstorming session. Believe it or not, I got SO many ideas there and NONE of them involved actually buying Ikea paraphernalia. Can you believe it? I'm out of control...

3. Crafts. Some may lump this with the previous obsession, but I will not! I've been itching for a sewing machine for almost a YEAR now and plan to sew clothes, decorative items (pillows, table runners, etc) and other things like baby gifts and maybe even purses. I can't WAIT to get started on that stuff! But other than sewing, I've been nonchalantly perusing thrift stores, etc, in search of new craft ideas. I made that picture piece a few posts back with a plate rack and a few frames. And I spray-painted a candelabra thingy or 3 a wrought iron black (pics to come, hopefully) to decorate my fireplace and mantle. And I've got SOOOO many more ideas that I feel like I'm busting at the seems!! Sometimes I wish this was my day job!

4. Movies. I am usually a take it or leave it kind of person when it comes to movies. There are occasionally a "must see" movie, or two, that comes to theatres, but outside of these, I'm not a huge movie buff. Lately, however, we have had a 3 month free trial of HBO and Cinemax and we're recording and watching movies like NObody's business (minus the fact that I just made it your business, anyways). And we've been using the RedBox up the street (SO convenient!) and our Netflix to fill any voids we may have. We're loving that we get to see movies for little to no moola, so we're even seeing movies we wouldn't have otherwise watched (which is a good and a bad thing).

5. New recipes. I don't know way, maybe it's Mrs. Stethoscope's fault for posting so many fabulous recipes, but McStudly and I have both been into new grub lately. I could probably attribute part of that to our health issues, as well, and the fact that we really have needed to change some eating habits, but mostly I think it's Mrs. Stethoscope's fault! :-P We've been trying new stuff left and right, at home, and loving it! Well, not loving all of the recipes, but loving the experimentation and excitement of it all. And tonight - we're eating out at Chik-fil-a for the first time in QUITE a while (which is huge for us, since we're such self-proclaimed addicts of the place!) because it's a fundraiser for the local Air Force ball (which I'll be attending... EEK!).

Hopefully that list wasn't a) disappointing and/or b)a little too much for you guys. But that's where I've been... well, not quite, but it's been taking up a bit of my mental energy for sure!

Stay tuned for more adventures in the Puhl House. <~ Ha ha... Puhl house - like "pool house", get it? Oh jeez. I need a time out!

The Space Between

2009-08-26T13:24:00.006-04:00

So close, yet SOOOO freaking far!

I found some table alternatives for our living room. I stalk craigslist on a regular basis (like some of you recommended), and it seems that the people in our area either have the same taste as me, or aren't quite ready to give it up. I got nothing. That's usually how it works around here, though there are typically a few hidden treasures, from time to time.

Anywho - I was perusing Target and Wal-mart, because they typically make cheaper versions of nice furniture and I figured it was worth a shot. What could it hurt, right?

Well, apparently they didn't get the memo that they're supposed to have LOWER prices. Target had an almost IDENTICAL set of the coffee table and end tables, but they were priced higher than the originals, by about $25 each piece!

Can I get a "HECK NO"?!

So I mosied (mosyed? mossied? mozied?) on over to Wal-Mart's site and found two sets they are clearly brothas from anotha motha. I mean - they look SO much like the originals, but have a few striking differences. And just to prove my point, here you go (PS: Bonus points to whomever correctly guesses which is the more expensive set!):

Set #1:

Set #2:

Okay - so how much do you think these beauties cost? And which one do you think was more expensive? Answers to come...

But seriously, I keep hoping that I'll find this amazing deal somewhere and be just blown away by how affordable and stylish the find really is. I know that's pretty much living in dream-land, but hey, what's wrong with that, right?!

I can't imagine Craigslist coming up with anything very soon (though you betta bahLEE dat I'll be stalkin' that junk! ... I'm sorry. I'm not typically that gangsta, but we ARE talking about home decor, here, people) and I haven't checked out Overstock, yet (which is funny because I used to have an OS addiction like NObody's business!), but that's next on my list.

Are you done guessing, yet? Well here it is - the cost of the alternative sets:

Set #1:

End Table - $139.00

Coffee Table - $229.00

and

Set #2:

End Table - $79.88

Coffee Table - $119.88

The problem? Set #1 is the set that I really really LOVE! I mean, it's the perfect wood-tone for the look I want, and it's got this amazing realistic (possible even real?) wood grain throughout. And it looks like identical to the original set that I feel in love with!! Another funny little ha ha is the fact that the tables we currently have (found at Goodwill for - what was it Ma? $25?) are similar on the top portion, in that it looks like wood planks fashioned in a similar manner, but it's a really like oak-y color and the bottom is all wrought iron with a wicker basket inside. It would still work great if there was a way I could darken the fake wood top to a different darker shade and somehow have the basket match. But it's not real wood there's NO way I could create a fake wood grain on that sucker OR have the basket match.

*sigh

Who knows. Maybe this dream set will show up on craigslist for $50 soon, and I'll get the deal of a lifetime?! Yeah. I know... I won't hold my breath.

***UPDATE: I checked overstock, and even they have it more expensive than the originals. Oy. Why did I have to fall in love with THIS set??****

Feeling Crafty

2009-08-26T09:06:00.001-04:00

This is my most recent crafting adventure - a plate rack turned picture frame piece. What do you think - success or cheapy?

What's the Verdict?

2009-08-26T08:59:00.002-04:00

Is this too orange or just right (in natural light in this picture)?!